Our specialized heart and blood vessel care team
Learn more about the three types of cardiologists.
What is a cardiologist?
Cardiologists are doctors trained to find, care for and help stop heart and blood vessel issues. But did you know there’s more than one type of cardiologist?
The Everett Clinic has three types of cardiologists:
- Generalists
- Interventionalists
- Electrophysiologists
Together, these cardiologists make up The Everett Clinic Cardiology Group. Let’s learn about each type of cardiologist.
Generalists
Generalists care for a wide range of heart problems. They’re usually the first doctors to see about heart-related issues. Generalists care for common problems, such as:
- Chest pain (angina)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Coronary artery (vessels that bring blood to the heart) and valvular disease
While some generalists can do non-invasive procedures (simple surgeries), not all do them. But they may also do other tests and outpatient procedures like cardioversion or transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE).
If a heart-related issue needs specialized care, other types of heart doctors may be brought in to help with your care. Examples include interventionalists or electrophysiologists.
Interventionalists
An interventionalist could be called upon to do non-invasive procedures called interventions. They also see patients with:
- Heart valve disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
Intervention usually means a heart catheterization procedure. With heart catheterization, doctors get to the heart through the blood vessels. This helps doctors to find out what's causing heart and blood vessel problems and what to do about it.
Some of the procedures include:
- Cardiac (heart) implants, including a watchman device to help with atrial fibrillation (also called AFib or a heartbeat that's not normal)
- Stenting (putting a small metal tube into a blocked passageway to keep it open and help blood flow)
- Widening blocked or narrowed arteries (angioplasty)
- Minimally-invasive valve replacement
Our interventionalists also read and review vascular studies. Vascular problems like varicosities can be cared for in outpatient settings where you can go home after the procedure. This type of procedure is called sclerotherapy, also known as vein ablation therapy.
Electrophysiologists
An electrophysiologist is a cardiologist who focuses on the heart’s electrical system. They find and care for heart rhythm disorders or heart arrhythmias. They also see patients with:
- Fast resting heart rates
- Irregular (not normal) heartbeats
- Slow heart rates that aren’t normal
Electrophysiologists often care for AFib. AFib can involve irregular heart rhythms that need devices like pacemakers or defibrillators. AFib is the leading cause of blood clots and strokes. Patients with AFib need care as soon as possible.
Patients need devices implanted for many reasons, like a slow heart rate or heart failure. Devices are also for patients who have had life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
After a doctor puts in a device, patients get care from specialized nurses and medical assistants at The Everett Clinic Device Clinic. Our device clinic team works closely with your cardiologist to make sure you get the care you need.
Learn more about our cardiology team or call 1-425-339-5411 to schedule an appointment.
This information is for general purposes only. It’s not meant to be medical advice or to replace professional health care. Please talk with an appropriate health care professional about your specific needs.