How long a wait for an echocardiogram on nhs via Dr referral please?
Mel Buckton
Echocardiogram: How long a wait for an... - British Heart Fou...
Echocardiogram
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Melbuckton
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MichaelJHHeart Star
Sorry there is no real answer as it varies depending both on urgency and the local health trust. I have heard of four month waits! Good luck!
That's useful information. So I wonder if Dr will know nhs wait time and if long will do referral to much quicker private hospital for echocardiogram.
Mel
The referrals manager at your gp surgery will know - they’ll have a list with waiting times...ask her what the earliest appointment is at all available hospitals...you might have to travel but you can expedite it.
I’m assuming it’s a “her” it usually is, but how profoundly un-pc that was of me: my apologies.
Hopefully, the wait is between 5 minutes and half a day, depending on urgency and how busy the GP clinic is.
When I phoned for an appointment the receptionist said
"Three weeks... is it serious?" I replied:
"I think they usually take chest pain seriously"
and I was talking to my GP (of choice) the same day, had an ECG and got referred to the "rapid access chest pain clinic".
Took me two weeks now further two wks for mri
i got mine in 1 month i was refered by the stroke team but my condition ment i was high risk for another stroke,I cant see you waiting more than 3 months??
If that's the case and the cardiologist wants it before cardioversion I'll have to get one privately.
This gets more like a lottery the more I learn...
Wow that's fast. Are you anywhere near London?
If it's pre cardio version why isn't it being ordered by the same md that wants cardioversion?
When is the cardio version scheduled?
My dr referred me to another junior gp.
He had my blood test and ecg results.
He put me on high blood pressure high cholesterol and blood thinners and ordered an echocardiogram.
I am in permanent af.
So I assume that the echocardiogram is for him to look at the opinion of the specialist who takes it.
However naturally I want to be referred for cardioversion so the echocardiogram is required.
If there is a massive wait I can get one straight away privately.
Ditto cardioversion.
I wish you the best of luck
That's very kind of you hopefully in the future I'll be able to help newbies!
Excellent
MichaelJHHeart Star
Ring the cardiologist's secretary on Monday. If it is needed prior to a procedure cardiology should be able to get you in. It is a quick easy procedure - I have had four.
Unfortunately I don't have the details but the Dr said he'd chase it up a fortnight ago. This was before I searched the internet and found out I'm losing brain cells.
Thanks for your excellent suggestion however the wait for cardioversion will be quite long and if the Dr hasn't got the echocardiogram results on Tuesday I'll still ask to go into the cardioversion list.
Four eh quite the veteran. Are you able to elucidate?
I've only had 2 echocardiogram
Not quite the veteran that Michael is.
You said this in your reply
' This was before I searched the internet and found out I'm losing brain cells.'
Could you elucidate?
Dr Google's consulting room can take you to places with less than ideal information.
FYI
My partner has lived with Atrial Fibrilllatition for many years.
The main risk is having a stroke and that's why blood thinners are recommended.
The new generation of Direct oral antocoagulants ( DOAC) such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban have replaced warfarin for many patients.
Atrial Fibrillation is also been highlighted by the NHS 10 year way forward
england.nhs.uk/blog/the-lon...
Don't use Google no privacy. Brave or duckduckgo or startpage much safer.
I only read information with bona fide credentials. Usually articles in medical journals or videos of af conference proceedings.
Please search term:
Af and cognitive impairment and dementia.
If you don't understand the articles I will help if you wish.
Dr M Buckton B.Sc. (Hons) M Sc. M.Inst. P. C.Phys.
No need to provide your qualifications .
Thank you for providing your kind offer it is not required .
Please do not under estimate the knowledge and former professional experiences of the fellow forum members.
This forum is I hope one where we can share our experiences and provide support regardless of our educational abilities.
Ok but why do people keep asking me about impairment. From what you say there should be lots on the forum from experts.
Where's the information about acqmap?
I understand the NHS article you flagged up but such policies have to be general.
I was just answering some questions after some research and you posted and said not to believe everything on the web.
Rather than simply say I know what I am doing I posted my credentials.
And as I was attempting to help you understand the impairment situation I gave you the necessary internet search phrase and offered to help if you had queries.
I am sorry if this upset you.
Mel
Thank you.
You made a statement that would be considered controversial by some and that is why people are asking more questions.
For greater understanding for everyone could I ask you to explain any abbreviations and technical terms that you use?
Acqmap
Acutus AcQMap Imaging System Helps Eliminate Arrhythmia With Single Ablation
cognitive impairment:
The loss of intellectual function, i.e., of thinking effectively.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia. Growing evidence supports a role for AF as a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.
Brave or duckduckgo or startpage.
Brave
The browser blocks ads and website trackers.
Duckduckgo
The Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs.
Startpage
the world's most private search engine which doesn't log, track or share your personal data.
Please let me know if I've missed anything.
Mel
Great.
All medical research applications for funding are expected to provide a plain English summary and glossaries.
The use of scientific language can place a barrier of understanding between researcher and patients and be considered to be elitist.
Fully agree. But wouldn't you consider that a scientist may understand the scientific language you reference?
That's why I offered to help when I gave you the reference to cognitive impairment and dementia.
You made an assumption inappropriately.
Perhaps be a little more humble in the future and respect all of us on the forum.
This is not a place of intellectual arrogance.
Many of us on the forum are fully capable of reading very high level medical research.
Then it's amusing that you accused me of not understanding what I found on the internet.
And you didn't understand my comment about losing brain cells.
Here's a quote from a medical scientific article:
To make it easier to understand, dementia is caused due to the dying of the brain cells in important areas of the brain.
You may read very high level medical research so you must have understood my comment about losing brain cells yet you asked me to elucidate.
Naturally I assumed you where not knowledgeable in medical matters now you tell me you understand advanced medical research.
I will end on a lighter note. You haven't used your real name but there must be a story behind Milkfairy.....
Yes I asked you to explain your statement for the benefit of all members of the forum.
Could I ask you to reflect how your statement will have effected others with Atrial Fibrillation ?
You continue to make many inappropriate assumptions.
This forum is hopefully a place of safety and the community guidelines advise us all not to disclose our personal details.
Time I feel for this discussion to come to an end.
I hope my statement will get those who didn't know about the cognitive impairment and dementia occuring by staying voluntarily in af will look at ways of getting out of it.
And I am absolutely baffled how what you imply is a wonderful forum is not discussing this avidly.
There is a political undertone to this last post.
Your statement:
You continue to make many inappropriate assumptions.
is often said by politicians.
If you truly believe this then lets discuss them. I would be delighted to be proved wrong about the impairment but so far am only finding evidence for it.
What are you afraid of Milkfairy?
I do agree this should end. I want time to investigate for more details such as the rate of impairment. I think the information is out there...
This forum isn't specifically for AF. If you're surprised the issue isn't being discussed more avidly then you may wish to join the AF Association forum, where you may well find it is being discussed more avidly!
I thought healthunlocked merged all three.
No they're not merged. There's many different forums, this forum is for all types of heart conditions, non specific. If you're interested in a more specific area then there's are other forums available, AF, cholesterol, anxiety, weight loss, etc
Ok thanks I'll go and find the af one
Mel
I think you'll find you're already a member of it & have already posted to the forum!
Cor, your qualifications are nearly a password! No numbers though - how about BA^3 for my Sciences Tripos?
So you understand af and cognitive impairment and dementia?
I suspect the poster was referring to the fact that you felt the need to post a string of qualifications.
By the way where does Dr. come from as there is no mention of a PhD or equivalent, and you are a chartered physicist not a medical doctor?
Good one. I usually don't bother with ph.d as most people know what Dr means.
There were several posters who seemed to be criticising my posting of cognitive impairment information and claiming that I was misunderstanding search results.
So that's why I posted my quals.
Yes physics but the medical papers and conference videos on af are quite easy to follow especially if you look up any words, phrases etc one doesn't understand.
For example search for 'cognitive impairment and dementia' I think you will find that you can understand quite a lot straight away.
Hope that helps?
Mel
healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...
I'm only posting information from medical journals and conferences.
That's not the issue.
You have unnecessarily offended several members of the forum.
We are all equals here. Our qualifications and prior professional even medical experience not to be misused.
We are heart patients.
Yes but was querying your need to post a string of qualifications? I see you went to grammar school - so what I did as well but it becomes irrlevant after higher education!
I was explaining why I liked to add my name. It's how I was brought up.
Mel
Just out for f curiosity cardio made me apt mri after 2wks does this mean something is urgent as I feel normal and have no symptons
I think Milkfairy (probably more subtle than me) meant what have you been reading about AF and cognitive degeneration. There is (sadly) a lot of medical understanding here on the forum and it isn’t something I’ve seen mentioned before, as I imagine others haven’t.
Milkfairy (and many other longer-term members) see a lot of posts that Mr Google (other search engines are available, it’s a euphemism for a ‘variety of snake oil/selling something/media knee jerk headline) has said this is THE thing and it’s the way forward. No, you didn’t say that, but the AF cognitive decline comment stuck out.
Having had only a short history of heart disease (April) I’m still a baby, but am already very distrustful of the many unsubstantiated and random things t’internet pops up with. I’m not clever like you, just a thick copper. But I have a fab nose for ‘what is this tomfoolery’ and will ALWAYS question what search engines are paid to pump out.
Interested in why you feel the need to have a non-trackable internet presence...
To answer last question. Read the websites of the 3 companies I quoted.
I fully agree with your comments about search engines. Fortunately a scientific article has the authors listed the institution the date and at the end a large list of scientific articles referenced.
In addition there are several conferences with videos of the proceedings. The presenters are the leading lights in the af field. They are sponsored by the various af associations.
This is all standard scientific stuff.
Believe me af cognitive impairment and dementia is real. Anticoagulants reduce the effects and there is some recovery once back to sinus (normal) rhythm.
I am currently trying to work out how fast it happens. Certainly over years it can be significant.
Although perhaps there's an argument that as there isn't the capacity to end af for everyone there is no need to shout it from the hilltops this forum is supposedly about af and its effects.
So I just thought I'd mention it on the assumption that its thread was elsewhere in the forum.
Hope this helps.
And you don’t need to sign your posts like a letter. Presumably you’ve already used your internet monika in your username.
I’m assuming it is an AKA, bearing in mind your approach to the WWW!
I know but a post is personal to me so I like to sign.
Sorry grammar school upbringing...
Mel
Wow. Did you mean to be so condescending?
Ps the ‘thick’ copper is me not finding the need to post my qualifications or schooling to justify talking down to people.
Don’t bother explaining the habits of a lifetime! We all have our own idiosyncrasies. I was not offended by your posts. I only got 2 GCEs and an NNEB. Incidentally, I had an echocardiogram and 24 hour blood pressure monitor in June but did not see a cardiologist to discuss the results until late .August! Even then, the cardiologist who ordered the procedures (Dr Malhotra) was no longer at the hospital and I saw another cardiologist. Dr Malhotra told me to stop taking Statins straight away. They were of no use to someone of my age (84), and just give me problems with muscle pain & tiredness. So I stopped taking them. The next cardiologist said he would have continued to prescribe them for me! You can’t win!
Surely that's just the sort of thing to ask this forum?
Good example of an area where I know enough to know they are good for high cholesterol at my age but nothing else.
Except they don't give you cognitive impairment and dementia like af does.
I live in Kent and have just got NHS echocardiogram appointment. That took 7 weeks and consultant appointment is mid Feb - 18 weeks. I also have permanent AF so this is all very new to me too. Hope that helps. Good luck and please let me know how you get on.
Presumably the consultant appointment is to discuss the echocardiogram or have I misunderstood?
Mel
Yes to see consultant cardiologist to discuss scan result and any treatment.
You too
I'm waiting at the moment told 6 weeks even though I had open heart surgery last year and my BNP levels are abnormal. But does depends on urgency and where you live.
2week wait and it was done at my main GP surgery and was asked at least rhe appointed if I had a appointment booked with cardiologist which I did not. Told to make a GP appointment to have it arranged
I may have misunderstood did you get an echocardiogram at your surgery after just 2 weeks wait?
Mel
Yes
Wow that's some surgery..
Doesn’t work that way for GP appointments can wait 3weeks. Maybe they saw it as urgent as it led me to have valve replacement a few months later . I only went the GP for certificate as I had fractured my wrist in 2 places and the GP decided to check my BP as it had not been done for years she the listened to my chest and picked up a murmur. It turned out I have a valve that had not formed properly. I used to get out of breathe but thought it was normal and that I was unfit. Thankfully I had a good GP she was the only one that checked my heart when my BP was high.
A Xmas good news story.
I think a lot depends on where you live, after they found a Myxoma in my heart both my daughters were told to go and see their doctors for a referral for a echocardiogram. One daughter was told she could have one quicker if she traveled to another hospital. I think it was probably about 3/4 weeks. All the best 😊
Melbuckton in reply to
I would guess that they were put on priority after your heart situation discovery?
in reply to Melbuckton
You are probably right. I hope you get an appointment soon then you will know what your looking at. Personally for me it was the not knowing which was the worst. Once you know you have to just get on with it. 😉
Melbuckton in reply to
Thanks did you get your illness dealt with?
Mel
in reply to Melbuckton
I did thank you Mel and very quickly, they were an excellent team of people and I was extremely lucky.
There are some very helpful people on this site with a wealth of personal experience they definitely helped me regarding my recovery after open heart surgery.
Myxoma’s are still fairly rare and I would have loved to have someone to communicate with at the time of diagnosis, the reason I stay on the site is hopefully put others at ease.
Keeps us updated on your progress. 😊
Elaine
Melbuckton in reply to
Will do.
Can I ask did I read somewhere in here you would get the cardio version regardless if the echo was done or not?
No. I want to see a cardiologist and be put down for cardioversion.
This will have a waiting list.
If the nhs echocardiogram requested 3 weeks ago will not be ready in time I can get one privately more or less straight away.
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