Echocardiogram

[DanniC88]

Good mornong all.I have an echo scan today.

I was wondering what does it actually show? I know its performed like a baby ultrasound and shows the heart. But, can it show blood flow, blockages, enlargements or other abnormalities.

Would it also show EF?

If there was something bad would you be told there and then or would you still have to wait for the results to go to a consultant?

Just wondering.

[baly_2023]

Hi when I asked about mine when I had it done the nurse said it looks for structural anomalies and assess the pumping function of the heart. They also worked out my EF from it too.

[M4rcu5]

an echo shows how your heart is working and most importantly it shows your EF ejection factor which is the amount of blood being pumped around your body my first echo 7 yrs ago showed a ef at 30 % now 7 yrs later and 70 tablets a week it’s showing 45% . However I am not starving to become very tired easily and I feel the tablets I’m on which is at max dosage are no longer working properly or how they should be

[DodgyTickerMum]

Yes, like an ultrasound - with you laying on your left side, generally with a gown on - open at the front. They’re usually perfomed by Physiologists - who then report back to the requesting Cardiologist with results. If it’s listed as a ‘Physician Echo’ - then a Doctor will be performing it and would usually inform you of their findings there and then.

Hope all goes well for you. 🤞🏻

[DanniC88]

Thanks for your replies. I had one in 2019 but I was pregnant then and with all my organs being squished I'm not sure how much they saw and dopey me didn't ask any questions x

[Bluehope81]

Echo does 2 things its measures dimensions so you can measure all the chamber sizes, the aorta sizes, and this looks for structural defects, it can measure waves and volumes and give estimate pressures, so this allows to look at the blood volume moving throughout the chambers and the valves, to check if there are any issues with the valves and the chambers and give an EF value. it can also measure the pressure in the Pulmonary artery for PH, but it is not definitive in concluding you have PH.

[HeedioMk5]

From my experience an Echo is only as good as the sonographer doing the scan. Whilst they can determine EF from the scan it is an estimate. For more accurate EF, an MPI/MRI is used.

If there was something bad, you wouldn't be told. The report should first go to a Cardiologist to confirm the readings.

[Taviterry]

The other day I "ranted" here about the problems I'm (still) having getting records of my heart surgery last July at one hospital transferred to my local one. I do have a letter from my surgeon summarising the results of an ECG he arranged in November and am wondering whether that will be enough for my local hospital (which itself gave me an ECG in March), or whether its cardiologists will want to look at more complex read-outs and graphs. (I'm about to email both hospitals - again - about the transfer.)

[Ageingfast]

Dear DanniC88

I am not medically trained and I don’t try to guess about medical matters. Also, I prefer not to know any non essential info.

However, after five annual scans, the sixth one showed problems, the consultant was on the phone to me immediately and the health service burst in to action. It is a different world, so much effort given to save my life. Lead to having a replacement aortic valve and that worked superbly.

Thus I reinforce my mantra that no news is good news.

Best wishes

Sooty

[DanniC88 in reply to Ageingfast]

Well I've had the scan and it went well (depending on results) I was also booked in to have a telephone appointment with the consultant today at 1:30. So far no one has called me. Rather annoying when I only ever get one telephone appointment a year and I make time to make sure Im available for it. The radiographer said the echo scan results would be uploaded by then so the consultant could have seen them today. Feel very let down. This happens quite often.