l had an echo. on 20th November. I have not had the results yet, which is quite stressful as been getting more AF., together with ectopics. Would they have been in touch by now if something is wrong or do they now make you wait until your appointment for results? I am waiting for appointment date with EP. which they said will be after Christmas.
Have you signed up for all reports to be copied to yourself? I get copies of all reports but they do sometimes take a few weeks to arrive and then often make no sense. I am waiting for a doctors appointment to explain the findings of a CT angiogram which apears to be written in Klingon.
I haven’t signed up for that. When l have a medical appointment they always send me a copy of the letter they send to my GP and l have the NHS app. which lists test results, but nothing there at the moment. Perhaps l am too early. My CT angiogram was ok last year. I had a phone call from the hospital to tell me the results of that! It’s all so chaotic and disorganised and like you say written in code LOL. . Surely if something is wrong they would get in touch, do you think Bob? Thank you.
I suspect I have reached the cut off age after which they write you off to be honest!
LOL me too. A friend once said to me that they don’t care after you reach 70. Getting old is not for the faint-hearted is it? Put up and shut up. Hope your results are good and thanks.
well past that now.
I had echo 6th November and report was in my NHS APP a few days later (reviewing with cardiologist tomorrow). In the APP it appears within documents within GP health record (so not in the test results section), you've probably looked but if not might be worth a quick check. (Though I note you also get a copy through the post too..)
Thanks. I have checked and nothing in yet. I may give them a ring to find out. It’s so stressful waiting for results and so detrimental to us Afibbers. Anxiety is my major trigger.
I think you only get the digital copy online when a correspondence is sent to your GP. If sent to a consultant you might have to wait until the consultant writes to your GP which will likely be after your appointment. I guess it’s down to who requested the echo will get the report.
Best wishes
Bob. I believe Google Translate has a Klingon translation ability🤓
😂😂 your reply about Klingon....hilarious Bob. Thanks for bringing a good old laugh to me today.
At my last echocardiogram I had a creepy feeling something was up and it was (pericardial effusion) - had the report within a week and quick referral to an ‘interventional cardiologist’ in case I experienced severe breathlessness in future. It was a bit late by the time I had the echo 🙄 as only remains of effusion seen. So based on my experience they’d act quicker if there was a concern but of course hospitals differ a lot.
Thanks Buff. It’s something to go on, but like yourself, l know l am not as well as l was and then the pessimistic thoughts come in. There seems to be a deterioration in getting test results as with everything through the NHS. Some departments are better than others. I wouldn’t be here without them so …………. thankful for small mercies.
Best wishes ❤️🩹
Echo. results seem to vary a lot depending on a whole lot of different circumstances that including who your cardio. is and your hospital.I usually get an echo. an hour oe so before seeing the cardio...once or twice a year.Then I see her and she discusses the results. The result also goes to my GP. but he is inclined to let the hospital deal with all my heart issues and that suits me fine.I also have a nurse practitoner who works with my cardio I can ring her any time
during the week.
Hi I had a stress echo on 1st October and still waiting! Ive given up now as have a follow up in early January and will check then.
Thanks. Just a case of waiting l think. I find it very stressful not knowing. Do you think they would get in touch if not all is well?
Try not to worry. But you could call the arrhythmia nurse and just say your stressed and could you please have your results.
Like I said my echo (which was a stress echo) was on 1st October. Spoke to the secretary got nowhere so going to be patient till review in January. I can’t be sure but feel if anything “up” they’d contact.
Wishing you all the best
Oh and meant to add I get ectopics as well
Yes, ectopics are worse than the AF for me. Thanks for your time and help. Appreciated.
Goodmorning. You probably won't get your results until you get your follow up appointment in January to be honest. That what happened to me, but when my cardiology appointment got cancelled on the 21st November they sent my echo results though the post telling me that my Arotic ascending has grown by 8mm since March 2023 to October 2024..Now my Arotic root and ascending is now at 40mm..Most days now I just struggle day to day with dull chest pain, blood pressure issues, Anxiety and panic attacks 😢 Iam starting to think now what's the point..Iam not getting the support I needing at home because everytime I get a panic attack most of time iam out when it happens and I can not get back home with the car. My panic attack yesterday started at 530pm and eventually started to ease at 930pm I can not get pass having this tingling sensation or burning sensation in the central chest area and feeling lightheaded and rapid heart rate and troubling to swallow. This all happen after I left the dentist, I couldn't understand why, but I found out that the injection that I was given had endorphins in, knowing I was already feeling Anxious at the time while I was sat in the dentist chair that endorphins was already in my bloodstream. So the panic attack which I experience was due to endorphins overload which can set off Panic attacks.
Hi. You sound really fed up. Sorry about the panic attacks you are having as they can be very debilitating and scary. Have you seen your GP ? I have anxiety and l find the beta-blocker l take, as a pip, can help. The dentist should have given you a non-adrenaline injection. There are some good audio tapes on You Tube of Claire Weekes which are worth listening to, What is the prognosis for your heart? Is there treatment? I hope this depression will lift for you and you can be more positive. Keep strong and wishing you well.
Hi there Cavalierrubie thankyou for getting back to me. My dentist gave me non adrenaline injection but injection containing endorphins can give the body an over load of endorphins if someone is already suffering from Anxiety in the dentist chair like what happened to me. When Anxiety happens endorphins are released into the blood stream, to much endorphins in the blood stream can cause cardiac issues and panic attacks, iam getting yearly checked for my TAA but the hospital forgotten about me and u ended up having my echo done this October it should of been done March 2024 so my echo was 7 months over due..I know one day I will need the Arota root and ascending needs fixing with a graft or another method. Iam scared that i will be forgotten about again
Don’t let it be forgotten - make some noise. It is repairable, so that is hopeful for you. Thank goodness we don’t have to go to the dentist often! Something to be said for false teeth eh? Keep smiling.
You could try ringing one of the arrhythmia or cardiac nurses, assuming the echocardiogram was ordered by your consultant. If your GP ordered it, you will have to follow it up with your GP practice. My local hospitals use MyChart but tests ordered by the GP will show up on the NHS app. Different hospitals use different online systems and apps for accessing test results. It’s a clumsy system having two separate systems.
I would like to think that no news is good news in that there’s no immediate emergency. Changes typically progress slowly and gradually over the years and the purpose of echocardiograms is to monitor for these changes. One of the arrhythmia nurses can explain any changes seen and whether they are particularly relevant in your current situation. Minor changes are often seen with AF but probably don’t require any treatment, nor are particularly significant. These reports can be difficult for the layperson to understand so it’s better to have someone explain the important points.
Thank you Autumn. I had the echo in the Cardiac Investigations Dept. at my local hospital (Peterborough) so that’s the explanation as to why the result is not on the App. The various systems for accessing test results are chaotic it seems. I will try the hospital tomorrow and see if l can get anywhere, but l would think it will have to be seen by the EP. Everything is a waiting game and seems to go on forever. Probably better l leave it and get on with Christmas instead of giving it a dominant position in my life. It is, what it is. Thanks and take care.
Hi
Getting any copy of anything from Hospital here in NZ we sign and produce an identity
image with signature. Filling out the form is what you want. Then how do you want it
via pick up or courier delivery.
I even got all my images of my thyroid test over this year ultra-sound, 2 CT scans, MRI Pituitary Gland and PET scan put on a DVD/CD and couriered to me.
They want to make sure that the requesting person has authority to have this.
cheri JOY
Hi Joy,
That sounds like an excellent service, I'm wondering if it's a private healthcare thing.
Do you have an NHS in New Zealand or does everyone need private medical insurance?
Hi
Our Free DHB Hospitals. But in 2022 these became 'disallowed to define themselves to an area, so by approaching North Shore Hospital earlier and being knocked back. wanting my ACC claim (not damage yet) .I wanted my op there where my specialist was working in a public capacity. (My area was disallowed to remove Johnson & Johnson TVT etc ops).
I had been referred by my urologist to a gynae-uro private specialist lady doctor. North Shore had declined then but when opened up, I was scheduled for 3 weeks later by another surgeon but said No a 3D scan is done in January and sent to my specialist when she gets back from holiday.
A caring Chinese lovely young intelligent and experienced Specialist she agreed that I would have more support in her public hospital.
A great success.
The 3D scans were put on CDs. ACC paid for these tests to show damage or not (1mm away on 2019 scan).
cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)
I once asked the guy doing my echo if he could see anything wrong.
He said if there was anything life threatening then I wouldn't be leaving the hospital.
It's quite a long process to go through all the hundreds of images but if your worried try ringing your cardiologists secretary and ask for a copy of the report to be sent to you.
Thanks a lot. That’s good to know and reassuring. I am going to see if l can get anywhere with it today. I doubt it but …..,,,
Hi
Your Dr will have the results too.
Pop down and see your Clinic and ask for a copy.
I see I got a simple result print out first.
Then if I want a copy the GP will have it.
cheri JOY 75. (NZ)
I had mine in the 12th of Nov! Still no result either. They usually take ages!! Don’t worry
Hi,
I had the same response as Fairgo45 when I asked the woman doing it if she could see anything wrong when I had my echo.
She said I wouldn't be going home if she had any concerns, which was a relief.
Waiting to hear the results wasn't so much of a pain once I knew that. Sometimes waiting is the worst part.
As a recently retired NHS Echocardiographer. Any issues you would know by now, anything serious you would not have been sent home..
Your consultant would have your name on a results list to read the report plus other tests, then they dictate a letter to you and the GP, sadly by the time it takes to get to you it could be about 4 weeks?
Echoes for AF tend to be for Atrial size and Ventricular function both Left and Right, but the Echocardiographer would do a full report on everything.
Don't over worry.
Thank you.
My echo results took 3 months to receive with lots of issues reported that require addressing. Contact your cardiologists secretary to enquire.
My report took six weeks. I was told at the time it would take that long. All very frustrating.
Poor you! You have my sympathy not that it will be any help! When I had my echocardiogram done a few months after finally being diagnosed (and after having walked quite a way from where we parked to the hospital and then up and down the stairs there a few times as the lift wasn’t working) the nice chap who did it explained that there was nothing structurally wrong with my heart which was encouraging. I can’t remember if, or how much later, a letter confirming what he had told me arrived, but the way the typing of letters in the nhs seems to have been outsourced, it may take a while. To quote from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, “Don’t Panic”!
Thanks Vonnegut. Hope you are keeping well. I enjoy your replies x
Well, my brain still functions ok but I have chronic fatigue too, which means I can’t say I’m well. Fortunately, my husband does most of the stuff I can no longer manage and I have reached 80 now.
I know but the important thing is that you keep on getting old! X
The important thing is my brain still works unlike a good friend and a relative who were struck with dementia- actually the A one that I can’t spell correctly!
Alzheimer’s ?????? Sounds like a good lager!
That’s the one! Horrible and weirdly, both men had developed diabetes some years before. My cousin passed on a good suitably vegan recipe for fruit loaf which she made for her husband when he was diagnosed with it and I passed it on to the wife of the friend after he was diagnosed with that and both went on to get the nasty A*!
What a jinx. Xxx
PS. Or a quote from “Dad’s Army”. “Don’t panic Mr Mannering.” Lol 😂😂😂😂
An ecocardiogram is not he same as an EKG. if ordinary eco, those only show the basic rhythms and any ectopics of our hearts. I had the EKG stress induced via injection one done a few months ago and these are much more informative, it shows any blocked arteries, how the heart is behaving in general.
For myself it was an unpleasant experience though as it brought on the worse AF attack i have had, i personally dont like the stress induced by injection, and prefer the old method of walking on walking machine with the pads on one, but they prefer it with injection for speed, but i believe they gave me too much and made my heart race over 200, they couldnt do enough for afterwards, i know they knew they had overdone it with me. Never again one done this way for me. i had to go the hour by bus home and do not know how i managed it was so ill, but it did show some very good results, i.e. no blockages, and they were happy with my PAF, one day though it could turn to permanent i know that but at 77 as i am now, not doing so badly, some have AF young as 40 years old.
Hi, l am same age as yourself and thankfully have only had this 7 years. I didn’t need the EKG stress as l had a CT Angiogram, with the dye, in the summer and my arteries were clear. This recent echo. is to determine how well my heart structure is and how efficiently it is pumping. It is very thorough and was an ultrasound. I have also had a 24 hour monitor. The EKG sounds as if it was very unpleasant for you. Thanks for the warning.
Well all i know from own experience is when i hve had Eco's of which many, its just the pads on and they run the scan print out which shows heart beats and any ectopics, nothing more really, this is why the Cardiologist suggested the EKG. this shows blocked arteries, the size of heart and its function, i did ask if it shows the Aeorta (spelling), and they told me know this is a specific test. At present my AF was diagnosed when i was 76, i am hoping though that it remains the PAF type i.e. spasmodic episodes and doesnt develop into permanent, as my husband has, as he is on drugs that i would not want to be on, or indeed could not take as i have bad reaction to many medications.
At our ages, we have, i think to be realistic, they say with AF, it wont itself kill us, but the most important drug my Cardio tells me, is the Apixaban i take, i only take bisoprol when i ahve an attack but even that takes over an hour for my h.rate to return to its normal 50 bpm. i have always had a low h.rate, i dont need BP meds, though but for years they had me on these, but now realise my BP is how it should be for someone my age. See even they make mistakes, i keep a check myself with BP and Oxymeter to see my h.rate is fine, and oxy levels too. The NHS sadly is not as good as it was when we were younger, and getting worse, so we have to be on the ball dont we. Good luck, and dont worry, worry and stress are not good for AF.
I think you are speaking of ECG not Echocardiogram. it’s true, the most important medication is the anticoagulant. Yes, l feel the same in the respect that we have to oversee our own treatment, because mistakes are made and only we know how we feel. This is where this forum is so needed and invaluable. Take care.
the fact that they sent you home is probably good news .
I had to smile at your reply. I hope those at home with me and the dog think it’s good news and were not planning a celebration 😂😂😂. You never know with folks. 😂😂😂
Contact your gp to see if he knows
I have a very awkward GP who refuses to give results if the tests are undertaken by the hospital or consultant. I had a CT Angiogram in the summer and he would only give me a print out of the results which was all foreign to me. The hospital did phone with the results eventually. What have we come to here? Not a thought for the patient.
You're right. GP's can be very difficult to talk to I'd rather chat to our Nurse Practioner when possible. Best wishes
It is very stressful when waiting for results but I'm absolutely sure you would of heard by now if there was anything really wrong. Maybe (as already suggested) call the Arrhythmia nurse if you're still not hearing anything if only to keep your anxiety at bay.
I'm sure all will be fine.
Best wishes.
K.
Thank you. Good advice.
Echocardiogram
Another update - heart rate monitor & echocardiogram 
Echocardiogram delay
Is an echocardiogram essential?
