They say that doctors are heroes who save lives every day but it is rare to meet a husband-and-wife specialist medical team who take the saying quite so seriously. Dr. Bernd Uwe Reisbeck and Dr. Manuela Reisbeck (both specialists in cardiology and general medicine) gave heart and soul to the injured at one of the world’s most documented tragedies: 9/11.
On that fateful day in 2001, they were right in the thick of things, trying to come to terms with an unimaginable tragedy, sharing their medical knowledge and experience with patients who were fighting for their lives. The young couple had honed their skills for many years in top medical institutions in New York and Berlin before deciding it was time for a change. Today, in their dedicated department within the Marbella High Care Hospital (where the doctors work with cutting-edge equipment, including a 3-Tesla MRI and the highest grade PET-CT scan), they offer their knowledge and skill in cardiology to patients – everyone from those simply wishing to have a yearly check-up, to those who have symptoms or even just a family history of heart disease.
A Highly Experienced Duo
Drs. Manuela and Bernd Reisbeck, both from Germany, actually met while she was in her first year of medical school in Berlin and he was working at a hospital. Bernd completed the board exam to become an accredited specialist in New York (where he completed his fellowship) and formed part of various prestigious medical teams in veritable institutions like the Bellevue Hospital (New York City University), Memorial Sloan Kettering, and St. Vincent’s Hospital (New York Medical College). He held the post of Head of Critical Care at the Brookdale University Hospital Brooklyn and has been US board-certified since 2002. After 9/11, the couple headed to Berlin; from 2004 to 2007, Bernd was a member of the interventionist cardiology team at UKB .
Dr. Manuela Reisbeck has an equally impressive trajectory, having graduated from the Charite University in Berlin and finished her clinical training in internal medicine and intensive care in Berlin and at the NYU. In 1999, she received her full accreditation with the US-ECFMG board and commenced her clinical medical training programme at prestigious institutions like NYU, Memorial Sloan Kettering and New York Medical College. She has been US-board certified since 2002.
From Prevention to Emergency Hospital Care
Between 30 to 40 per cent of people do not have symptoms before having a heart attack. This is why prevention is key. CardioCare offers the full range of services for heart health – divided into three main categories: Prevention Check-Ups, Cardio-Vascular Intervention, and Emergency and Hospital Care.
Prevention Check-Ups
There are many different prevention programmes, and the right one for you will depend on your age, risk factors, etc. Testing can range from just one and a half hours in length to two days, depending on how many tests you have. The type of tests offered are numerous and include ECG, echocardiography, stress ECG, carotid echo-doppler and IMT measurement, full body MRI, HRV screening, colonoscopy (if indicated), peripheral arterial echo-doppler, ABI, lung X-rays, etc.
Cardio-Vascular Intervention:
CardioCare boasts an impressive Siemens Hemodynamic Interventional Unit, used to carry out a vast number of endovascular procedures, including coronary angiogram and interventions/stent insertion, carotid artery interventions, peripheral artery angiogram and interventions, aortic interventions, CNS-endovascular procedures, pacemaker and defibrillator insertion, continuous implantable arrhythmia monitor, and embolisation procedures together with other subspecialists in their respective fields.
Emergency and Hospital Care:
CardioCare offers 24/7 emergency and hospital care. The clinic is integrated within the High Care International Hospital and patients admitted into the hospital are cared for by the CardioCare team throughout their stay. The hemodynamic unit is open 24/7 for acute cardio-vascular events like heart attacks. The team at the Acute Coronary Care Unit monitors cardio-vascular patients throughout their stay and beyond.
Drs. Manuela and Bernd Reisbeck have brought a slice of the U.S. to Marbella, ensuring that the same team of doctors see patients for all their needs. This is refreshing indeed for patients, who don’t have to explain their situation and history to new doctors every time they need help. The Clinic also offers a wealth of additional procedures – one being prostate artery embolisation ( a way to provide relief to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia).
The husband-and-wife team discuss a number of fascinating facts about heart health with me on the day of our visit, and arguably the most important message I take with me as I leave is that whether you are seeing a cardiologist on a preventive or interventionist basis, all testing and treatments need to be administered with the correct technique and conditions if they are to have the desired effect. Both doctors have worked incredibly hard to obtain their specialisations, certifications, and experience – and their dedication and passion for what they do make patent that they are indeed a trustworthy team to turn to for all matters pertaining to the heart.
WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY KEVIN HORN
CardioCare. At the HC Marbella, C/ Ventura del Mar 11, Marbella. Tel: 951 829 978.