Echo result

[themalteser]

Hi guys, so after my I called yesterday and spoken to a nurse and asked her that I'm waiting for the results of my echo, and whether they are available, she said she will check with the cardiologist who I seen before and call me back. She called me back and informed me that there had been no change, everything is the same, she also adviced me to try and forget about it and will follow me up next year.

I was over the moon, but, today I received an email from another cardiologist whom the echo should have gone to, to be verified and told me this:

"Hi Brian - your echo shows minimal change in your aortic size. *I think it may have increased slightly but not enough to cause concern. *The leak is unchanged. *I will ask for you to be reviewed in the OP clinic in 3-6 months."

This really put me back to worried, so one says no change and to see me in a year, the other one 'thinks' there is a slight change and wants to see me in 3 months!!!

I keep trying to tell myself that maybe the change was so minimal like that one said no change and the other said slight! Can't understand, I'm worried again now.

What do you think?

 

[Michelle D]

I wouldn't worry but I'd be cautious and go back sooner than a year. I have two cardiologist, it's a long story and they never ever agree on anything. I still haven't figured out which to get rid of. I think reading echos is not exact. But if it is not leaking don't worry too much.

 

[hook]

A minor change may mean you had extra fluids on board that day; this can often cause "minor" changes in echo reading.

If it were me I would go back in 6 months, watch the salt, lay off weight lifting, and stay in shape.

 

[themalteser]

Thanks Michelle, I want to say that maybe the change has been 0.2 of a millimiter, then I wouldn't worry, but if it's been a millimiter, then I be very worried, don't know what he means by changed slightly but not to be concerned! On a previous report, the radiographer and the other cardiologist measured my root to be 4.2cm, but this one said 4.6cm even though the report says 4.2!! Bit confusing!

 

[themalteser]

Thanks hook, what's extra fluid? Does everyone have fluid?

 

[Michelle D]

You can always call back and ask for an explanation. It is true that sodium and fluid can make a big difference. When I was on my best behavior with my diet I had BNP score in the normal range after a month before having one that said I was in heart failure. Then I slacked off and three months layer I was almost off the charts and was airlifted for emergency surgery. Not saying sodium almost killed me my mirtal valve leak was as bad a it could get, almost as bad as not even having a valve there. So sodium will make a difference in test results

 

[themalteser]

I've received an email from the cardiologist saying:

"I would like to repeat your echo as the last echo did not have very clear pictures. No need to worry - you should continue all your usual activities as before."

So it looks like the images were unclear, could it be because I ate lunch around an hour and a half before?

 

[themalteser]

I've received an email from the cardiologist saying:

"I would like to repeat your echo as the last echo did not have very clear pictures. No need to worry - you should continue all your usual activities as before."

So it looks like the images were unclear, could it be because I ate lunch around an hour and a half before?

 

[hook]

When I say fluid, I mean extra fluids the body will add to the blood and tissue in order to dilute the excess sodium in your blood. When we take water pills the body is instructed to loose that sodium, and the water takes it out via the kidneys. So salt is a big deal.

I was told that in simple forms, when the body sences less than optionmal blood supply to any of it's parts, a signal is sent to the kidneys to retain sodium, so the added "fluid" volume stays with it. After a while this extra load can stretch or weaken the heart.

 

[Luana]

So it looks like the images were unclear, could it be because I ate lunch around an hour and a half before?

I would doubt it.

As for fluid, the heart is contained inside a sac called the pericardium, which has some fluid in it; that's normal. Too much fluid can be a problem.

 

[Mentu]

My Cardiologist is a pretty thorough fellow even if we have not always seen eye to eye about how things should go. However, when it has come to things such as the echocardiograms, he has twice had them repeated because he felt the results were ambiguous and probably the result of poor technique on the part of the technician. I find it much more reassuring to have a careful Doctor than a lackadaisical one.

Did your Cardio send you a copy of the test result or just a brief summary? You can ask for a copy of the test result itself for your own records - they belong to you; you paid for them. Always keep in mind that one echocardiogram is not by itself definitive. If your Doctor suspects a serious problem then he will in all likelihood order a heart cath. One test does not a diagnosis make.

Larry

 

[Michelle D]

Us heart patients as well as anyone over the age of 40 should only have a daily sodium intake of 1500 mg, my cardio has had my as low as 900 mg a day.