Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a pediatric cardiologist?
- Why are patients referred to your office?
- How does a pediatric cardiologist determine if my child has a heart problem?
- Will you be able to make a diagnosis in one office visit?
- What happens if there is a problem?
- If my child has a heart problem does it always require heart surgery?
- Will it hurt?
- What else should I bring to my appointment?
- Is there anything special I should to to prepare my infant before my office visit?
- How long will our visit last?
- What will I learn?
- Do you evaluate only children?
- May I use my cell phone in your office?
- What other service do you provide?
- How do I schedule an appointment?
- Do you accept our insurance?
- How do I get to your office?
What is a pediatric cardiologist?
A pediatric cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and long term care of children with heart problems. These problems are often congenital (present at birth) but some develop later. Pediatric cardiologists have received extensive education and training in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. Pediatric cardiologists are not heart surgeons and do not perform heart surgery. However, if we discover that a child needs surgery, we arrange for a consultation with a pediatric heart surgeon. <return to top >
Why are patients referred to your office?
Your health care provider has asked us to determine if you or your child has a heart problem. The most common reason for a referral to our office is to evaluate heart murmurs. A murmur is an extra noise heard between the normal heart beats. A murmur can be a sign of a heart problem; however many children with murmurs have normal hearts and may never have to return to our office. Other common reasons for referrals include irregular heart beats, chest pain, turning blue, and tiring easily with exercise. <return to top >
How does a pediatric cardiologist determine if my child has a heart problem?
We listen to your child's heart with a stethoscope. We do electrocardiograms (EKGs) to look at the electrical activity of your child's heart. We may do an ultrasound exam of your child's heart (this test is also called an "echocardiogram").<return to top >
Will you be able to make a diagnosis in one office visit?
Yes, in most cases. If your child needs an echocardiogram it will be done during your office visit and should not require a separate trip to our office. <return to top >
What happens if there is a problem?
This depends on what the problem is. In some cases it may be necessary to return for periodic follow-up visits. Sometimes we may need to perform additional testing including an exercise stress test (also called a "treadmill test"). It is occasionally necessary to have your child return later to do a hospital test called a heart catheterization (also called a "heart cath"). <return to top >
If my child has a heart problem does it always require surgery?
No! Often we don't need to fix anything. We may ask that you return periodically for re-checks. In the event that something else to be done, pediatric cardiologists can fix some problems during a heart catheterization. Only rarely is surgery needed. <return to top >
Will it hurt?
Nothing we do in our office should hurt - but that doesn't mean your young child might not be scared. A lot of children are fearful that any visit to a doctor's office will be painful. If your child is afraid, it might be helpful to tell them in advance that we do not give shots in our office! If they need an ultrasound, they can watch a movie from our video tape collection during the procedure. If your child has a favorite videotape you may want to bring it along with you. <return to top >
What else should I bring to my appointment?
Please bring things to help your child pass the time happily. This could include pacifiers, formula, juice, snacks, a blanket and a favorite toy. If your baby is breast fed, you may want to bring breast milk in a bottle since it is difficult to do an echocardiogram while nursing. Older children might want to bring something to read. If it is necessary to bring brothers and sisters, bring items to help them pass the time as well. Also, please bring any medical records that might be important in helping us learn about your child's medical problems - especially if they have seen a pediatric cardiologist in the past. A list of medications and dosages is also important. <return to top >
Is there anything special I should do to prepare my infant before my office visit?
Please don't apply any oils or lotion to your child's skin before coming to our office. This makes it hard to attach our EKG stickers.<return to top >
How long will our visit last?
A visit can last from 1 to 3 hours. The length of your visit depends on the type of problem you or your child has and whether or not an echocardiogram is needed. <return to top >
What will I learn?
After evaluation is completed, your doctor will discuss the findings with your and tell your whether or not any follow-up visits are necessary. This will be your opportunity to ask any question you might have. We will tell you whether any exercise restrictions are needed and whether it is necessary to take antibiotics before dental work. We will also send a report to your referring doctor explaining everything we have discovered about your child. <return to top >
Do you evaluate only children?
In general most new patients referred to us are 18 years or younger. However, we see adults who were born with heart problems in a special clinic called the "Adult Congenital Clinic". We also see adults diagnosed with a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of their heart (called an "ASD" or "PFO"). We can close most of these holes during a heart catheterization by inserting a special plug. <return to top >
May I use my cell phone in your office?
We require that you turn off your cell phone when you are in the exam rooms. If you receive a cell phone call while in the waiting room, please be courteous and step outside our waiting room and into the hallway to continue your conversation. <return to top >
What other services do you provide?
In addition to those already mentioned, other pediatric Cardiac services we provide include: hospital consultations, outpatient clinics in Holland, Muskegon and Cadillac, EKG and Holter monitor interpretation, diagnostic and therapeutic heart catheterizations, interpretation of echocardiograms from outside hospitals, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and fetal echocardiography. <return to top >
How do I schedule an appointment?
Patients are seen by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please call our office between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday or click here to request an appointment from this web site. If we are not able to schedule an appointment as quickly as you would like to be seen, we can put your on a waiting list. This means that when an earlier appointment becomes available we will call you and ask if you would like to come in - sometimes that same day. This may require some flexibility on your part but most always allows your child to be seen in our office much sooner. If you need to change or cancel and appointment, please call our office at least 24 hours in advance so that we may accommodate the needs of other patients. <return to top >
Do you accept our insurance?
Our physicians participate in many health insurance plans. Please call our office for our current participation status. Your insurance plan may require a referral from your primary care provider or prior authorization for services. It is your responsibility to obtain authorization or a referral prior to your appointment. Please present your insurance card at the time of your visit. We will file your health insurance claim as a courtesy to your, however, co-payments are due at the time of service. Bills may be paid by cash, check, money order, Master Card, or Visa. <return to top >
How do I get to your office?
Our office can be reached from I-196 at the College Ave. exit. If you are coming from the East, your will turn left onto College and go over the expressway to Michigan St.. If your are coming from the West, you will turn right onto College to Michigan St. Turn right (west) on Michigan St. and go two blocks. The first stop light you will pass is Lafayette. The second stop light is Barclay St. just before the Meijer Heart Center ( a tall building with green glass). Turn left onto Barclay (you can only turn one direction). As you drive down Barclay, our building is on your left side and you will enter the parking lot at the second driveway on the left. You will see parking lot gates and a parking ticket machine. Be sure to bring your ticket into our office so that it can be validated. Click here to see a map. <return to top >
|
