A heart surgeon is a doctor who performs operations on the heart. A heart surgeon generally works in an operating room with various other specialties such as anesthesiologists, perfusionists and assistants. He or she is responsible for quickly performing emergency procedures on patients suffering from cardiac diseases or injuries to properly manage risk factors, administer medications and make incisions. They are also commonly known as cardiothoracic surgeons.
Our article gives you further insight into what does heart surgeons do and how much they earn via different methods such as salary per year, hourly rate and job description etc…
There is an organization called the American Board of Thoracic Surgery which provides certification exams for those applying for the role of a heart surgeon. Those who have completed an educational program from a medical school having accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and also successfully passed the American Board of Thoracic Surgery’s certification exam are eligible to get hired as heart surgeons.
History of Heart Surgeons:
In ancient Rome, Galen & Herophilus were credited with being the first surgeons to practise medicine while dissecting dead bodies. Later during the 500s BC in India, Susruta was known for his work in performing surgeries on a wide range of patients, including brain and mental related procedures. In the 1000s AD during the Song Dynasty in China, General Wang Zhen recommended using vinegar for blood staunching purposes while operating on patients.
In the 16th century, Ambroise Pare was credited with the first amputation of limbs, which was performed on a soldier. In the 17th century, Gaspard de Véron gave an early example of coronary bypass surgery through the stitching of blood vessels by joining two parts of veins from different people.
Types of Heart Surgeons:
A heart surgeon generally has to specialize in one specific area or task that they perform throughout their whole career. Here we have given you some basic information and list what is a cardiothoracic surgeon and how can someone become one:
1) Cardiac Surgery: A cardiac surgeon specializes in performing surgeries on the cardiovascular system including beating heart procedures such as open-heart & closed heart surgery for correction of acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease or congenital heart defects etc.
2) Thoracic Surgery: A thoracic surgeon specializes in performing surgeries on organs such as lungs, esophagus, chest wall & diaphragm including treatments of conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and pulmonary hypertension etc. They also perform coronary artery bypass surgery.
3) Vascular Surgery: A vascular surgeon specializes in treating diseases that affect blood vessels such as aneurysms and carotid arteries by performing procedures like endarterectomy and carotid endarterectomy etc. One can become a vascular surgeon after completing an educational program from a medical school having accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and having certification by the American Board of Surgery.
Salary & Other Benefits:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, heart surgeons make approximately $1,092 per hour or $221,500 per year on average in the United States. The salary for this job depends on many factors such as experience (the more years you have in practice, the bigger will be your salary), geographical location, type of practice (private vs. government), specialization etc.
To gain maximum out of your hard work and efforts, you must pursue a career that matches your interests; only then can one excel at their medical profession with satisfaction.
The reward may not necessarily come directly but indirectly via happiness & well-being. This is where things start to get interesting, you need to do a little bit of research on your own. Your research will help you find the right path. Don’t give up until you have found the perfect job for yourself!
Landing a career as a heart surgeon can be tough but it becomes easy if you learn how to play the game. It requires persistence and determination which will eventually pay off in the end.
There are a lot of articles you can read to learn more such as what’s a heart surgeon called and the likes. Just click on the underlined phrase.