Introduction
We go to a heart specialist when we have any problems related to our heart or chest. If we go for regular health checkups and the ECG or ECHO reports are not up to the mark, the general physician recommends us to one of the top cardiologists in India. However, did we ever think about the difference between cardiologist and cardiac surgeon?
Compare the below things with a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon
When we do a Google search for the term best cardiologist doctor in India, names like Dr Devi Shetty and Dr Naresh Trehan. However, there are many best cardiologist doctors in India who do not get that kind of recognition or media coverage, however, have tirelessly been saving the lives of millions of people.
- Training
Both cardiologists and cardiac surgeons appear for the medical entrance exams, complete a four-year M.B.B.S degree program, successfully complete the residency period and then are awarded the degree. Before beginning their careers as cardiac surgeons, most will first apply for an M.D, complete it with special training in surgical procedures and then start as assistant surgeons first. They will assist the head surgeon while they are operating the patient before they gain the complete experience to complete the surgery single-handedly.
- Specialisations
In India M.B.B.S doctors choose cardiology as their specialisation and proceed towards becoming cardiac surgeons. Many take up even doctoral studies to learn further. In the U.S, the training needed to become a cardiac, or cardiothoracic, surgeon can last eight years or longer following medical school. In other countries, the specialisations and number of years associated with it differ. Degrees of most countries are not even considered legitimate in many other advanced countries.
- Area of focus
A cardiac surgeon performs surgical procedures that involve incisions like coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, heart valve repairs, atrial fibrillation ablation to treat irregular heartbeat, carotid endarterectomy to restore blood flow, heart transplants, or any other heart surgery required for treating the patient.
A cardiac expert who specialises in non-surgical methods to improve circulatory health is known as an interventional cardiologist. They often enter a patient’s heart or arteries using flexible tubes known as catheters, and they might fix valves, install or fix devices like pacemakers, or clean arteries to optimize blood flow. Even a cardiologist is qualified to carry out these operations because both hold the entry-level M.B.B.S degree, which teaches surgical techniques. Before beginning their careers as heart surgeons, the majority of cardiac surgeons will first apply for an M.D.
- Salary
Per month salaries of cardiac surgeons go in lakhs in India. It depends on the institute they graduated from, their success rate and number of years of experience. Cardiac surgeons working in Government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka or other southern states with ten plus years of experience earn about 40 Lakhs/annum and the amount doubles in private hospitals. Most senior surgeons are affiliated with multiple hospitals and their remuneration is dependent on the number of surgeries and type of surgeries they do in a month.
Cardiologists who do not do invasive procedures earn much lesser than cardiac surgeons, however still their earnings are much more than most regular jobs.
- Education
Both professions demand a high level of education and medical school attendance. A general or interventional cardiologist, however, receives internal medicine training before doing several years of interventional cardiology training. After medical school, an aspirant cardiothoracic surgeon attends a 3-year general surgery residency with certification. Thereafter, the surgeon spends another three years gaining specialised knowledge and training in cardiothoracic surgeries with certification.
- Work environment
Both have to work in extremely high pressure environments in hospitals where lives depend on their diagnosis, prescriptions and procedures they perform. In India, if an influential person dies, their family members often physically assault doctors and surgeons for none of their faults. Hence, they live a highly stressful life.
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Conclusion
We had started our operations in 1995, and our visionary founder Late Dr. Chalasani Ranga Rao wanted to create one of the best hospitals in Vishakhapattanam which renders the best treatment to patients in an affordable price. After 27 years, we can proudly tell that we are in the right path of creating the vision of our founder and relentlessly we have been serving the patients and the community. You will find some best cardiologists in Andhra Pradesh, in our Queens NRI hospital.