Echocardiogram Schedule

echos

by Tracey_E - 2024-09-15 22:25:42

Every doctor is different. Mine does an echo every year, holter and xray every other year, remote monitoring every 3 months. If it's been a while since your last echo, you can ask. Sometimes it slips between the cracks and all they pay attention to is the pacer downloads. 

Depends on heart condition and our symptoms

by Gemita - 2024-09-16 02:29:22

We sometimes go years here in the UK without being called for an echocardiogram, particularly if we don't report any difficult symptoms, like breathlessness, chest pain, fatigue, poor exercise tolerance, worsening arrhythmias.  It so depends on our heart condition.  If we presented with heart failure, then clearly our ejection fraction should be monitored more regularly, but this doesn't always seem to be the case in my experience.  My husband has stents as well as right sided heart failure but I still have to ask sometimes for an echocardiogram when he complains of worsening symptoms, so not always good care.

I have recently asked for another echocardiogram myself due to angina.  My last echo was 2-3 years ago.  They ordered a stress echocardiogram which appeared positive for coronary artery disease and this required confirmation with an angiogram.  The angiogram confirmed spasms in the LAD artery (vasospastic angina) as a cause for my chest pain, not a blocked artery.  They have changed my medication from a beta blocker which could potentially aggravate the condition, to a calcium channel blocker.

Your pacing downloads are no substitute for an echocardiogram, although any stored electrocardiograms during significant arrhythmias may point to a worsening heart condition and alert your cardiologist to the need for an echocardiogram.

Did you go ahead with thyroid surgery?

I would recommend..

by USMC-Pacer - 2024-09-16 13:03:29

every year at least. My ECHOs were done every two years and in that time I developed Pacing Induced Cardiomyopathy shortly after I became complete heart block. It can happen in 20 to 40 percent of right ventricle paced patients. Why don't do that automatically?? I don't know!

Echocardiogram

by Rch - 2024-09-16 15:28:04

Frequency of Echocardiograms are usually guided by your physical exam, underlying heart disease, comorbidities and symptoms. If you have no symptoms and PM data are stable,then generally you do not need an echo very often. 

Thyroid Surgery Scheduled

by Stache - 2024-09-16 22:18:57

I was notified today I am on the surgery schedule for October 31th Halloween for my thyroid to be removed.  I understand my cardiac doctor will be on standby during my surgery.  There is some concern that the surgeon's electronic knife may interfere with my pacemaker leads being so close.  Happy they are calling in my doctor for support, everyone has a limitation in their field.

Thyroid surgery

by Rch - 2024-09-17 17:06:33

You will do just fine. These surgeons work with pacemaker patients all the time! We will pray for you!! 🙏