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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffA congenital heart defect such as tricuspid atresia is often identified within the first two months of birth — more than half of babies with tricuspid atresia show signs on the first day of life. Whether problems are first noted in the hospital or later by you and your primary care doctor, eventually your baby will be seen by a cardiologist who has experience in treating congenital heart defects.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment with the cardiologist. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your cardiologist.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you've noticed in your child, including any that may seem unrelated to a heart defect.
- Write down key personal information, including any family history of congenital heart disease or any illnesses the mother may have had during pregnancy.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your child's cardiologist is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For a congenital heart defect, some basic questions to ask your child's cardiologist include:
- What is likely causing my child's symptoms?
- Are there other possible causes for the symptoms?
- What kinds of tests will my child need?
- What are the long-term effects of a congenital heart defect?
- What is the best course of action for my child?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- How can I make my child more comfortable?
- Are there any restrictions or special instructions that I need to follow for my child?
- Should I see other specialists? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist? (You may need to ask your insurance provider directly about cost and coverage.)
- Will my child need to take medications? If so, are there generic alternatives to the medicines you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first notice symptoms in your child?
- Have your child's symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- How severe are your child's symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your child's symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your child's symptoms?
