Echocardiogram

[Crash1997]

Will I go home after echocardiogram

[bantam12]

Yes, it doesn't take long, bit like an ultrasound.

[daveofpensby]

Yep as it’s already been said like an ultra sound it doesn’t take long

[Whiteheart]

Yes, its pretty much non invasive and only takes a short while.

[leach234]

Only way you won’t go home is if they find your arteries totally plugged!

[Wellington19]

Yes

[Hidden]

Yes you should. It is a non-invasive procedure similar to the ultrasound a pregnant woman will get at outpatients. It looks and heart function, blood flow and how the heart valves are working. It should last 30-45 minutes.

It will not tell you if you have blocked arteries another test is needed for this.

[Heartbreaker1952]

Yes. I had one the other day(had many times before). You'll turn on your side and the practitioner will put some gel on your chest and start the procedure which will last between 20 - 30 mins. The readings will have to be looked at by a cardiologist and you should get the results straight away. Any problems you will have to have an angiogram where they inject a dye through your groin or wrist to check your arteries. Any major blockages may see you undergo a simple procedure to insert a small stent - sometimes several - to widen the blocked or narrowed arteries.

[Scott_d]

They found a blood clot in a ventricle when I had mine as part of my pre-op

[Sunnie2day]

Actually, it depends - usually the person doing the echo hands you some tissue (to wipe some of the gel off your chest) and says 'I don't see anything to keep you so you can go and the consultant will see you to give you the results'.

But if the tech sees something concerning, he/she will say 'I'll be back in a moment' and pops out to consult the supervisor or a doctor. The person being consulted may come in and and have a look at the monitor, may call in a cardiologist, and from there you may be told you are being admitted owing to something they see on the scan.

If they keep you - it's a good thing! It means they've found something AND are going to deal with it. You'll be in the right place, yay!

If they don't keep you it means they didn't find anything requiring immediate attention, yay!

My last echo showed some pericardial effusion and they almost kept me until my cardiologist popped in and said 'Oh that's brilliant - your effusion hasn't increased since last time! See you next time...' and I was out of there like a shot, lol!

[Superjan in reply to Sunnie2day]

Hello do you know the difference between an echo and stress echo? I’m booked for a stress echo?

[Sunnie2day in reply to Superjan]

A stress echo is done by injecting the person with a stimulant that will 'stress' the heart so they can see on the scan monitor what is happening when the heart is 'stressed' by exercise. Sometimes the person is put on a treadmill or stationary bike, sometimes the person can just lie on the table and let the injection cause the sufficient amount of 'stress' on the heart to give the tech a good scan result.

Before your stress echo, ask your medic how yours will done - table or bike/treadmill. Also have a look at this BHF page about echocardiograms, scroll down to the stress echo paragraph:

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Superjan in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you

[Pastime]

Yes only takes about 15 mins as outpatient,just like a ultra sound scan

[Hidden]

Agree it may depend why the echo is being done & what they see.

If you have any sense it’s a “routine” or “follow-up” check, I’d imagine results sent to cardiologist, who would write / meet / call to discuss results later, so straight home.

If they are investigating for first time, the consult with Dr may be straight afterwards, maybe an hour further.

If they suspect worsening of symptoms, they may well have checked bed availability (in the U.K., this is) to see if an admission is feasible if needed.

And if they see something tricksy, they might admit on more urgent basis, but as above, this is good, as it means you get immediate treatment.

But the test itself is short, usually 40 mins for me. It’s not painful or invasive, but depending on person & their condition, it can be uncomfortable. It often hurts me to have the little probe pressed onto my ribs, and currently turning on the bed is tough, but it’s short-lived.