Just like several other medical specialties, there are cardiologists who focus primarily on children’s health. These heart doctors are known as pediatric cardiologists.
There are also cardiologists who specialize primarily in adult health. This other group is known as adult cardiologists.
Find a few more helpful pieces of information you may need to know about a cardiologist or cardiologist clinic that offer a wide range of screening such as ECG, treadmill ecg and ct coronary angiogram on this page: https://sunriseheart.com.sg/. Now, if you have been working with a cardiologist since your childhood years, or you are a parent whose child has been working with a pediatric cardiologist, but the child is aged, you may want to switch to working with an adult cardiologist.
Here’s the twist; making the switch can be a challenge in some instances, thus making you wonder if you can continue with your pediatric cardiologist at the Punggol clinic. If that’s your concern and you are really not sure whether making the switch is worth it, then we created this guide for you.
After reading it, you will know whether a pediatric cardiologist can treat adults as well. You will also know how to determine if you or your child is ready to make the switch to an adult cardiologist clinic and how you can make the switch to working with a cardiologist who provides care for adults at an accredited Punggol clinic.
What Ages do Pediatric Cardiologists Treat?
The practice of pediatric cardiologists differs from that of cardiologists who deal with adults. Ideally, they specialize in treating complications with the child’s heart rhythm or structure.
The pediatric cardiologists work alongside the GP. Just like the cardiologists who specialize in treating the complications with adults’ heart rhythm or structure, the pediatric cardiologists also do not perform heart surgeries.
Therefore if there is a need for your child to get heart surgery, you will need to find a cardiac surgeon for the child. Regarding the ages which pediatric cardiologists treat, they work with children right from birth, helping them manage congenital heart problems.
They can always see the children until they’re ages 18 and even 21. When assessing the children for heart issues, pediatric cardiologists use imaging tests, echocardiograms, or electrocardiograms, among other tools, to check for problems in the heart.
Your child may need to see a pediatric cardiologist if he/she develops issues that may indicate an impending heart complication such as fainting, dizziness, and chest pains, among others. A full exam would help the cardiologist determine the possible cause of the problem and then recommend the necessary adjustments or treatments to reduce the risks of heart disease.
Even though pediatric cardiologists mainly work with children, some of them may also see adult patients. Ideally, if you have been living with a heart problem, you may still work with your pediatric cardiologist into adulthood.
It is also important to note that there are some pediatric cardiologists who specialize in adult cardiology so they can still treat adults who struggle with congenital heart complications.
Depending on your needs, the pediatric cardiologist at the Punggol clinic near you may give you inpatient or outpatient care. Therefore if you live with congenital heart defects as an adult, you may still get help from a pediatric cardiology clinic.
You will need to check this with the heart doctor at the Punggol clinic. If more specialized care is necessary, they will certainly give you a referral to a cardiologist who deals with adults.
Switching from Pediatric to Adult Cardiologist
Now determining when to switch or when your child should switch to an adult cardiologist may not be easy. Ideally, transitioning to adult cardiologist care after being with the pediatric care for the best part of their years may be clouded by a bit of anxiety both on the parent’s end and the child’s end.
You do not need to really panic, though, even if your child was born with a congenital heart defect and lived with it all the years through the help of a pediatric cardiologist. The pediatric cardiology care unit at the facility can help you with the transitioning process so that both you and the child find it easy. When transitioning from a pediatric to an adult cardiologist, here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself.
- Does the child know the major conditions he/she has been struggling with my name? It is essential that when switching to a Punggol clinic for adults, the child be knowledgeable of the conditions they’ve been struggling with. Good knowledge of these conditions will make planning their care program at the adult cardiologist facility easier.
- Can the child explain the symptoms? Again when formulating a heart health care program at the Punggol clinic, the heart doctor will want to know the symptoms the youngster is having. To easily transition into adult care, it is important that the child be able to explain how they feel.
- Does the child understand his/her limitations? There are factors that increase the risks of heart conditions worsening. Ideally, if you are a parent providing care to the child, it is easier to limit the child’s activities. As the child transitions into an adult, he/she must be aware of the activities they should not be engaging in; for example, smoking is one of the activities that should be off-limits. On the same note, if they also struggle with diabetes, they should also be knowledgeable on how to live with diabetes.
- Can the child create a summary of his/her health record and be able to maintain it without assistance? A clear health record will be essential for maintaining the appointments and complying with the medical treatment needs.
If you answered yes to all the questions, then the child is most likely ready to transition to adult cardiologist care. Just to be sure that everything goes smoothly; you may still need to maintain a connection with the pediatric cardiologist during this transitioning period. Here is a breakdown of the steps to switching to an adult cardiologist from a pediatric cardiologist.
- Step 1: Get an education. The child most likely already knows about the disease he/she is struggling with. Just to ensure that they’re knowledgeable, check to confirm that the child understands how the heart functions and how it is built.
- Step 2: Do the Introduction. Ensure that the child knows the adult cardiologist team he/she will be working with going forward. This will be a critical relationship that should be treated with the essence it deserves.
- Step 3: Build trust. Building trust will be the final step in transitioning to adult congenital heart disease care. Both parties should be at ease working as a team.
Need Help Switching to Adult Care? We can help
We have a dedicated cardiology unit that can help you with a smooth transition. Send us a message now to choose a date for your appointment.
Sunrise Heart Clinic – Cardiologist, Heart Screening, Heart Specialist
365 Sembawang Cres, #01-02, Singapore 750365
+65 6235 1137
