What Conditions Does a Cardiothoracic Surgeon Treat?

Cardiothoracic surgery (Bedah Toraks Kardiovaskular, or BTKV in Indonesia) is the treatment of disorders and diseases involving the organs inside the chest, such as the lungs and the heart. Only a specialist in this field can perform it, and that specialist is the BTKV doctor, known in English as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Conditions a Cardiothoracic Surgeon Can Treat
A cardiothoracic surgeon is qualified to treat many kinds of conditions, such as:

• • Heart problems, such as heart failure, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy, heart disease and cardiac tamponade
  • Heart attacks that require heart surgery
  • Heart rhythm disorders
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Cardiogenic shock
  • Cancer in the chest area, such as esophageal cancer and lung cancer
  • Severe emphysema
  • Pneumothorax
  • Hiatal hernia
  • Achalasia and other swallowing disorders

To determine a health problem or diagnose a disease, the cardiothoracic surgeon carries out a physical examination and supporting tests. After going through the patient's symptoms and medical history and completing the physical exam, the doctor may recommend additional tests, namely:

• • Urine and blood tests
  • Chest X-ray, MRI, CT scan and angiography
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Doppler ultrasound
  • Echocardiography
  • Heart biopsy

Even if you now know which conditions a cardiothoracic surgeon can treat, you should still try to prevent the diseases that can cause problems in the heart, lungs and blood vessels. With that in mind, here are some ways to keep your heart healthy:

Tips for Keeping Your Heart Healthy

1. Exercise Regularly
Exercise, or at least regular light physical activity, helps keep the heart healthy. When you exercise with a proper warm-up, the heart pumps blood harder, which makes the blood vessels more flexible. Oxygen is also distributed to every part of the body, leaving you feeling fitter.

2. Keep Up a Healthy Diet
Pay attention to what you eat. What do you consume every day? Is it healthy food, or food loaded with sugar, salt and fat? One cause of heart disease is food high in fat and salt, such as smoked meat, fast food, sausages and anything prepared by deep frying. If you want a healthy heart, start eating healthy, fresh foods such as vegetables, nuts and salmon.

Read also: The Right Time to See a Cardiothoracic Surgeon (BTKV)

3. Maintain an Ideal Weight
Keeping your weight in the ideal range not only makes your body healthier, it also makes it easier to move around and helps you look better. Limit food and drinks high in salt and sugar. You can control your weight by planning a healthy weekly menu.

Read also: Preparing for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: What Every Patient Should Know

That covers the diseases a cardiothoracic surgeon can treat, along with a few tips for keeping your heart healthy. We hope it helps!

You can also read the profile of one of the cardiothoracic surgeons at Heartology at this link: heartology.id/dr-dicky-aligheri