Working life: Heiko Kindler, Cardiologist

Friday, June 10, 2016

A day in the life of consultant cardiologist Heiko Kindler.

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7am

I have fun feeding mynine-month oldson his porridge before leaving for work. I live a short walk away from theBonsso it’s a pleasant commute.

A couple of days a week I liaise with cardiac colleagues at CorkUniversityHospital for a review of complex patient cases.

The Friday meeting is held at CUH.

It’s lively and educational and a good forum for pooling expertise to ensure patients get optimal care.

9am

I visit patients on the wards, adjusting medication where necessary.

Later today, I’ll see one woman again in the cardiac catheter lab to fit her with a pacemaker after a slow heartbeat caused her to collapse.

The surgery takes up to an hour. I will see another patient suffering chest pain and perform an angiogram, a diagnostic test to determine if arteries supplying the heart have narrowed.

Traditionally this is performed through the femoral artery (groin), but a newer method uses the wrist as an entryway and that’s the method I use.

11am

I head for the cath lab to carry out these two procedures with medical students in tow.

2pm

After a quick cup of tea I head to the MRI department to do MRI scans of the heart. I have a special interest in cardiac MRI and heart failure.

Heart failure is the inability of the heart to keep up with the body’s demands.

Symptoms include breathlessness and fatigue. We’re the only hospital in Cork to do a BNP blood test which is a very good test for telling us if the heart is working properly. The result is available in half an hour.

3pm

My outpatient clinic gets underway and includes patients back for follow-up as well as those referred with symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and those with a history of valve disease, stenting, and bypass surgery. We also run a screening service for inherited heart conditions and we often use cardiac MRI as a diagnostic tool.

7pm

Before heading home I visit patients on the wards to make sure they’re ok.

In the evenings I keep up with new developments in the field and read articles or listen to podcasts.

I try to write one or two articles per year for medical journals.

I like to spend free time with family or out on my bike.

Heiko Kindler is a consultant cardiologist, at the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork.