CHDFNigeria
CARDIAC (HEART) TEAM
A Specialized Cardiac Team is a group of qualified healthcare professionals who collaborate to determine the best treatment plan for each individual patient with cardiac conditions including Congenital Heart Defects known as hole in the heart. No one is more important or less important than the other. It’s the team work that makes surgery a success.
SPECIALISTS INVOLVED IN THE CARE OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE PATIENTS
Cardiac services unit comprises around 30 specialists who combine their expertise as a multidisciplinary team, to provide a comprehensive and unique package of care for every patient.
Specialists include:
Cardiologists who can be an adult or Paediatric cardiologist (a doctor trained and expert when it comes to child heart health),
Cardiac surgeon (he performs operation/surgery on the human heart with other surgeon or assistants)
Cardiac Nurses (Nurses who specialize in the care of patients with various heart conditions and can work in any unit of a cardiac hospital e.g OR,ICU, HDU, outpatient clinics or ward)
Interventional Cardiologist ( a cardiologist who is specially trained to carry our procedures in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab)
Radiologists, (one who carries our radiological procedures likeX-ray and CT),
Perfusionist (one who operates the heart and lung machine while patient’s heart is being operated)
Anesthetist (A Nurse or doctor who puts patient to sleep and monitors them and ensures they feel no pain while in surgery)
Respiratory therapist (a person who specializes in the lungs care especially after Open Heart Surgery)
Coronary experts who fix blockages in the heart’s arteries, experts in structural heart disease, pioneering electrophysiology team,
Cardiac Sonographer (does echocardiography for patients pre and post operation to see what is happening in the hearts chamber),
Cardiac Nutritionist (one who specializes in supporting the nutritional needs of children or patient with cardiac condition),
Play specialist (one who specializes in using play to distract patient from their pain or worries in hospital),
Physiotherapist (one who specializes in exercising and strengthening our muscles when we are too ill to resume our usual activities)
Cardiac consultants may work closely with colleagues outside of cardiac services, including:
- Neurologists, particularly stroke consultants
- Vascular surgeons
- Acute medicine consultants
- The trauma unit
- Renal teams
To summarize, a cardiac team comprising of healthcare professionals across a multiple of disciplines increases the chances of a better outcome for patients with Congenital Heart Disease.
