HELP!! ABNORMAL ECHOCARDIOGRAM RESULTS!!!

[DLAZ]

My doctor is on vacation and these abnormal results were sent to me and no one called to explain. Can someone help me understand what this means please?!!

Interpretation Summary

Mildly depressed LVEF

Moderately dilated LV.

Procedure: A complete two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram was performed (2D, M-mode,

spectral and color flow Doppler). The study was technically good with many images being of high

quality. Cardiac rhythm: Normal Sinus Rhythm.

Left Ventricle: The left ventricle is moderate to severely dilated. Ejection Fraction = 40-45%.

The

anteroseptal wall is mildly hypokinetic . The septal wall is moderately hypokinetic . Normal

diastolic function.

Left Atrium: The left atrial size is normal.

Right Atrium: The right atrial size is normal.

Right Ventricle: The right ventricular size, wall thickness and systolic function are normal.

Aortic Valve: The aortic valve is trileaflet and structurally normal. There is no aortic stenosis

demonstrated. There is no aortic insufficiency noted.

Mitral Valve: The mitral valve is structurally normal. There is trace mitral regurgitation.

Tricuspid Valve: The tricuspid valve is structurally normal. There is trace tricuspid

regurgitation.

Pulmonic Valve: The pulmonic valve is not well visualized.

Arteries: The aortic root is normal size. The ascending aorta is not well visualized.

Effusion: The pericardium is normal.

[cyberbarn]

First of all with the caveat that I am not a medical professional and you need to talk to a doctor about this, I will say this though: Look at the positive stuff!

Almost all of that says 'normal' and even the stuff where there is a difference, the left ventricle, it says 'normal function'.

There is something that GPs call the 6 o'clock call. It is where they have finished seeing patients in the surgery, and they are alerted to the test results that are urgent and life threatening. They drop everything and get hold of the patient and they don't stop until they do. They haven't done this for you, which means that this isn't life threatening. Someone at the surgery will have seen these results and it is felt that it can be left until your GP gets back to explain them. So that is actually good news!

But what the medical profession doesn't realise is that we patients can't tell the difference between what is natural variation and what is going to kill us. We assume that if there is something 'wrong' than it is bad. This is why in an ideal world all results would be explained, not just the ones where action needs to be taken. But GPs are too busy now to do that.

You should ring your surgery and ask for a different doctor to call you back and explain things. you might not be able to make decisions about treatment if needed until your GP gets back, but at least you will have peace of mind as to what is going on.

I hope that helps.

[Hidden in reply to cyberbarn]

Great reply cyberbarn x

[DLAZ in reply to cyberbarn]

It does help! I know it does say positive stuff, THANK GOD but I'm 31 with 7 and 3 year old daughters. I just got over acute kidney failure and craziness with my kidney and then started swelling massively and now something is wrong with my heart. It's just discouraging and sad. I thought I actually was going to get better. I'm just having a hard time with this.

[RibvanRey]

You may find more assistance if you repost this question in the British Heart Foundation forum here on HealthUnlocked.

Kind regards, Rib

[DLAZ in reply to RibvanRey]

Thank you, I posted on there, hopefully I hear something!