Cardiology in Vienna: specialists and diagnostic testsVienaMed
Cardiology in Vienna: consultations, investigations and access to specialists through VienaMed
Heart health should not become a concern only when severe symptoms occur.
Hypertension, palpitations, chest pain or pressure, unusual tiredness, shortness of breath or changes in heart rate are just some of the situations where a cardiological evaluation may be required.
For patients who want an additional evaluation, a complex diagnosis, a second medical opinion or access to investigations and specialists in Austria, VienaMed facilitates access to cardiology services in Vienna and coordinates the patient’s medical course, from document evaluation to appointment of the consultation and recommended investigations.
When is a cardiologist consultation recommended?
Cardiological consultation is not only intended for patients who already have a diagnosed heart disease.
Evaluation may be necessary both to identify the cause of symptoms and to monitor a known condition or to assess cardiovascular risk.
It is appropriate to talk to a doctor when they occur:
chest pain, pressure or discomfort;
palpitations or the feeling that the heart beats erratically;
breathing difficulties;
unusual fatigue at work;
dizziness or episodes of loss of consciousness;
high or hard to control blood pressure;
pulse very fast, very slow or irregular;
persistent swelling of the legs;
reduced tolerance to effort;
family history of cardiovascular disease;
diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity or other cardiovascular risk factors.
Cardiological consultation may also be recommended prior to certain surgeries or as part of a cardiovascular prevention and checkup programme.
Cardiology in Vienna - why can an additional evaluation be required?
Modern cardiology includes many areas of overspecialization. Depending on the patient’s problem, the experience of a physician specializing in clinical cardiology, cardiovascular imaging, rhythm disorders, heart failure, interventional cardiology, valvular disease or cardioncology may be required.
In Vienna, university centers, hospitals and private clinics operate with infrastructure dedicated to diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, for the patient, the difficulty is not always finding a clinic.
The important question is:
Who’s the right specialist for my problem?
That’s where the role of VienaMed comes in.
Specialists in cardiology through VienaMed
Depending on the existing diagnosis, symptoms and investigations previously carried out, VienaMed can facilitate access to specialists and medical centres in Vienna suitable for the patient’s situation.
A case of hypertension does not necessarily require the same specialist as a case of aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, heart failure or coronary artery disease.
Therefore, the selection of a physician should be based on the medical problem and the necessary competence.
General Cardiology and Cardiovascular Prevention
General cardiology consultations seek to assess cardiovascular status and identify factors that can promote the development of heart disease.
Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, body weight, family history, lifestyle and other elements relevant to the assessment of cardiovascular risk can be assessed.
Prevention is particularly important for people with multiple risk factors, even if they do not yet have obvious symptoms.
Arrhythmia and heart rhythm disorders
Palpitations, irregular heartbeat or rapid pulse episodes may require further investigation.
Depending on the situation, the doctor may recommend electrocardiogram, ECG Holter monitoring or other specific investigations.
For complex cases it may be necessary to evaluate it by a specialist in electrophysiology and arithmology.
Coronary disease
Coronary disease occurs when the arteries that provide blood supply to the heart are affected, most often by the process of atherosclerosis.
The evaluation may include functional tests, cardiovascular imaging, coronary CT or, where there is medical indication, coronary artery disease.
If significant lesions are identified, the physician may consider the possibility of medication, interventional procedure or surgery.
Cardiac failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood for the needs of the body.
Patients may experience difficulty breathing, tiredness, reduced exercise tolerance or oedema.
Diagnosis and treatment often require correlation of cardiological consultation with laboratory analysis and imaging investigations.
In complex cases, evaluation in a multidisciplinary team is important.
Heart valve disorders
The heart valves control the blood flow between the chambers of the heart and to the large vessels.
Stenases or valvular insufficiency may have different degrees of severity and may require only monitoring, drug treatment or, in some cases, interventional procedures or cardiovascular surgery.
Echocardiography plays an important role in the evaluation of these conditions.
Interventional cardiology
Interventional cardiology allows for the diagnosis and treatment of certain cardiovascular conditions through catheter procedures.
Depending on the medical indication, procedures such as coronary angiography, angioplasty and implantation of stents or certain cardiac structural procedures may be used.
The decision on the intervention shall be determined individually after the complete assessment of the patient.
Cardiovascular imaging
In modern cardiology, the images provided by the investigations can play an essential role in establishing the diagnosis.
In addition to echocardiography, in certain situations the doctor may recommend cardiac CT, coronary angioCT or cardiac MRI.
The choice of investigation depends on the symptoms, suspected diagnosis, previous results and the medical question to which the specialist must answer.
Cardiooncology
Patients on oncology or those who have received certain oncologic therapies may require monitoring of cardiovascular function.
Cardiooncology is the field that follows the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and oncologic treatments, so that cancer therapy and heart health can be managed together.
It is a very good example of the importance of collaboration between specialties.
What cardiological investigations can be recommended?
There is no standard set of investigations according to all patients.
The consultation and medical history determine what investigations are really necessary.
Among the examinations used in cardiology are ECG / EKG electrocardiograms, echocardiography, ECG Holter monitoring, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, exercise test, laboratory tests, cardiac CTs, coronary angioCT, cardiac MRI or invasive investigations, where there is medical indication.
The aim is not to carry out as many tests as possible, but to choose investigations that can bring information relevant to diagnosis and treatment.
For emergencies, see the article about signs of myocardial infarction.
Second opinion in cardiology - when can it be useful?
A second medical opinion may be useful when the diagnosis is complex, there are several variants of treatment or the patient has been recommended an important procedure.
Second opinion may also be required when symptoms persist despite treatment, the results of investigations are difficult to interpret or the patient wishes to confirm the therapeutic strategy before taking a decision.
In cardiology, an additional assessment may be relevant in particular for valvular diseases, coronary artery disease, complex arrhythmias, heart failure or when considering the appropriateness of an interventional procedure.
You can find out from guide for second medical opinion what information to prepare for evaluation.