I’m having a camera down my throat so the doctor knows which way to operate on my heart they are not sure if it’s going through my leg (catheterisation of the groin) or if it’s open heart surgery.
(I have a hole in my heart that’s been there since birth but never picked up causing my right side to enlarge)
My question is, does anybody know if when you go for the camera put down do you have to be admitted into hospital?
Only my letter has come through today and it’s an admission appointment and they are talking about the wards I’ll most likely be in, Is this normal?
Written by
Squ1dGam3
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I can only tell you that my gastrointestinal camera job was a day appointment with just a throat spray, no anaesthetic and it took 30 minutes from start to end. Obviously you may have other requirements as they are looking for a different reason. It’s not pleasant but it’s over quickly, try to breath and keep calm! Good luck.
It is my understanding that procedures like this are usually undertaken as a day case, it has certainly been the situation when I have had gastro-endoscopies. But you will likely need to arrange for someone to collect you since you will have been sedated and will be recommended to abstain from driving. However for certainty why not I contact the hospital and ask them?
My gastrointestinal camera was done as an afternoon job by a specialist cardio.who worked with the surgeon who was to close the hole in my heart.....by catheter in my case. I had a relaxant to calm me .It was mildly uncomfortable and the specialist told me immmediately after it he was going to rec. the surgeon went ahead with the procedure to close the hole. In my case he wanted to check the back of my heart.
I've had two both day cases at hospital I found it a bit unconformable the first time so second time I was given the stuff michael Jackson had and it was all good but you probably have to ask for it.
good morning, I’ve had two TOEs and it’s normally a day case. In both i had a general. Hope this helps. Because of the general anaesthetic it was a non event.
My sister had this for gastro reasons, after she was admitted to a day ward, just to make sure all was ok. A few hours later she was home, but someone had to pick her up. Best wishes 🤗
just a day job and I turned down offer of sedation and although a lot of gagging can go on I’m pleased I refused as it was it didn’t last long and no after effects. Hope you get on ok whatever you decide. Certainly wouldn’t have a general as that’s just something else to get over!
When I had mine it was as a day case. They have a "ward" of about 6 beds so that you can wait until a) the throat sparay wears off (no, it DOES NOT taste like bananas!) and also b) the sedation they give you wears off. This is a good video youtube.com/watch?v=X_E9HqX... that explains it all.
PS I also had a hole in mey heart that was diagnosed at 69! mine was repaired via my groins and they used 2 "patches" as my hole had strings of tissue accross it. Here is the echo doen post op showing one of the patches in situ. Marked in red - top and bottom of the patch and the button holding it together. You will also, probably have an angiogram to check pressures, measure the size of the hole etc.
My husband has had two transoesophageal echoes and he was in hospital both times with a general anaesthetic. (He had mitraclips inserted in his mitral valve - through the groin and had the echoes a couple of weeks before and one after the procedure.)
Hi Squ1dGam3, I had mine done at my normal echo clinic at st Mary’s hospital. It took about 30 minutes. Anaesthetic spray plus a bit of mild sedation(happy drug) . Looked away and swallowed and it was in . . Really not too bad at all. The cardiologist was very keen on showing me a picture of my heart on the scan in colour. I did not take him up on the offer. You do need someone to collect you given the mild sedation as you need time for it to wear off Lexi71
I had a TOE as a day appt. I took the sedative option, thinking it would just calm me down. I went out like a light! Didn't know a thing about it until the nurse was waking me up.Had my wife with me, but I can't remember if we went home by bus or had a lift, but certainly not driving.
I had this procedure (TEE) done 3 weeks ago. I did not feel a thing, and no taste or reaction to a throat spray. No disconfort. The doctor ordered sedation for me, I was completely out. Best way to go. The TEE takes 20 minutes to 40 minutes, and you will be discharged probably within 2 hours after the procedure. Will not be able to drive yourself home.
I too had a TOE for my hole in the heart - apparently there since birth only discovered recently, like someone else just had the spray and went home after. I suppose it all depends on the consultants plans for you.
I only found it by my Apple Watch alerting me my heart rate was 201 I was only sitting down, went up hospital they found a heart murmur and sent me for an echo then found the hole They said they need to operate on me due to my right side being enlarged. Thank you, take care!
The hole is probably a patent foramen ovale which is a hole between the upper chambers of the heart. I've had that from birth, no problems have arisen from it and I'm 87. Also, I had the TEE prior to placement of a scheduled MitraClip to reduce mitral valve regurgitation. I was in the hospital overnight for the TEE. It gave the cardiologist a better view of the heart than the standard ultrasound.
Hello and welcome to the world of late discovered ASDs! Mine was picked up on an unrelated chest x ray 2.5 years ago when I was 38. My ASD was 3cm and right side of my heart was very dilated. I had a TOE two years ago to investigate the rims around the hole. It was a day procedure and I blogged about it in depth at the time:
I’ll give it a read thank you! They found mine late as well. Apparently it’s been since birth but never detected. My Apple watch picked my heart rate up at 201 while I was sitting down doing nothing, went up hospital they found a heart murmur and got sent for an echo where the hole was picked up. my cardiologist said I definitely need surgery due to my right side being enlarged and a few other things like regurgitation and a leak and few other things. Going for my MRI Thursday then the TOE in a few weeks, they are looking for the size of the hole to see if it’s a Catheterisation or open heart. What are they doing about yours if you don’t mind me asking?
*Just read it and that’s brilliant, it’s made me feel better I now know what to expect thank you for recommending it!*
Hey! So glad you found the blog helpful. The TOE is fine, they take very good care of you and it's only half a day out of your normal routine.
Ah, yes. The full story is documented through the blog. I went on to have a heart attack (it was very big hole, but even so, I was extremely unlucky to have a very small clot pop through the hole!) and then OHS in June 2023 to repair. The blog gave me space to work through the mental side of recovery. Fast forward to now and I ran 5km in 27 mins this morning and won a gym competition last week. I don't know what my long term prognosis is, but right now I am fit and strong and I fully intend to enjoy that.
Our stories sound similar. Can I ask how old you are? I read your biog and see a lot that feels very familiar! It's so unsettling discovering your heart isn't normal and that you might need something major to sort you out. I remember how terrified I was and how heavy I felt, carrying around this unbelievable situation. But now it feels like a weird dream. Always happy to talk if that would help x
I’m 16, who’s obsessed with sports so to hear your fit and active now really makes me hopeful. I’m on a sports course at college and I’ve been so scared of them kicking me off the course because of my heart.
I’ve done sports all my life and even went on to win an amateur boxing match but I just wasn’t getting fitter, I was doing 12 week training for the fight and doing 5days a week and everyone else was getting fitter and I seemed to be just getting worse I was dizzy and breathless all the time.
Did you have any symptoms or were you asymptomatic?
Because I suffer badly with dizziness especially walking up stairs I have to stop at college to breathe I go really ill on stairs
Oh wow, that's very young but brilliant because you're so much less likely to have any long term damage. I'm sorry you've had symptoms but, however scary the situation may feel, it's so much better that you know now and are able to get it sorted out. It should also address all of your symptoms and I would expect you to make a full recovery and get back to excellent fitness. I would hope your college understands. When I was your age I developed glandular fever and I was basically wiped out for about a month and had loads of catching up to do at college. I was worried I'd need to repeat a year which felt like the worst thing ever at the time. Try not to think the worst and take it a day at a time. Life happens, people get sick or sometimes need a bit of help or time to recover and your big passion will still be there when you're done getting sorted out.
I had no symptoms at all - I guess my heart stretched and changed slowly so it learned to cope? It was quite hard going for surgery when I was feeling totally fit and well! But I'm relieved it is done.
This is so much to cope with at such a young age when you would expect to be busy with your education and finding your place in the world. I hope you have good support around you and people you can talk to? And you can always talk to us lot on here, we 'get' it and can help make sense of what's going on for you medically.
The last time I had one, I didn’t even realize it had been done. I was lightly sedated I guess, I don’t actually remember. It was done just before an ablation attempt. I was a bit awake between the two procedures when they told me that they’d just done the TOE. I remember my dad having one decades ago, they didn’t sedate him and whatever they were using for a camera must have been quite large, in the end they couldn’t do it. I think these things have come a long way over the years.
hi. I've had several of these. The first time as an out patient day case with light sedation. I was home after a few hours. The others were all done in hospital as an in patient as I was there anyway , again with light sedation. They are mildly uncomfortable but not too bad. I would recommend light sedation as it really helps. I hope all goes well for you.
I had the TOE procedure carried out in August last year and it was conducted as an outpatient appointment. Someone will need to drop you off and collect you, as they do not recommend driving for several hours after the procedure. Hope this helps.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Echocardiogram & Heart Failure
Heart Cath Terrified
Echocardiogram picture
Result of echocardiogram (my first)
