K
Karlynn
I've posted a question before on how many "valvers" have cardiologists that do annual stress echos. The response I got was small, most had them before surgery, but I didn't get any for after surgery, if I remember correctly.
I'm repeating this again because I called my card to schedule an echo for this year. I had my check up in August and procrastinated calling because I knew she was going to say she wanted a stress echo. Well, I've been having some more PVC's than normal this past month and a half, so it spurred me to finally bite the bullet and call to schedule an echo and an appointment to talk to her about the PVC's.
The receptionist said she'd schedule me for an echo but that she was sure when the cardiologist saw that it was just an echo, she would want to change it to a stress echo. I had one last year that came out fine (I gave in and said okay to the stress echo then). I'm not sure why she's insisting on annual stress echos. Does anyone know what the indications are for performing the stress echos? (I'm not experiencing the additional PVC's after or during physical exercise - if anything the rhythm is better then.)
I'll admit that the biggest reason I'm baulking at this is because it was a miserable experience. They have you walk your heart rate up and then make you lie down right away and you feel like your heart is going to either stop or beat right out of your chest. The wisdom of this eludes me. Any doctor will tell you the worst thing to do is to sit right down after physical exercise, that you should walk around and come down slowly. So what does this test make you do - lay right down.
I've had this cardiologist for 5 years. I went with a recommendation from my long-time cardiologist who was retiring and who I had great faith in. I've liked the fact that this cardiologist is always available. She doesn't overbook her appointments. She takes the time to talk to me during the appointments. I've always felt comfortable with her. But this stress echo thing bugs me. I don't understand why she's making this her protocol. She did go out on her own 2 years ago - is a stress echo that much more revenue generating than an echo?
And thus ends this novel -
Karlynn
I'm repeating this again because I called my card to schedule an echo for this year. I had my check up in August and procrastinated calling because I knew she was going to say she wanted a stress echo. Well, I've been having some more PVC's than normal this past month and a half, so it spurred me to finally bite the bullet and call to schedule an echo and an appointment to talk to her about the PVC's.
The receptionist said she'd schedule me for an echo but that she was sure when the cardiologist saw that it was just an echo, she would want to change it to a stress echo. I had one last year that came out fine (I gave in and said okay to the stress echo then). I'm not sure why she's insisting on annual stress echos. Does anyone know what the indications are for performing the stress echos? (I'm not experiencing the additional PVC's after or during physical exercise - if anything the rhythm is better then.)
I'll admit that the biggest reason I'm baulking at this is because it was a miserable experience. They have you walk your heart rate up and then make you lie down right away and you feel like your heart is going to either stop or beat right out of your chest. The wisdom of this eludes me. Any doctor will tell you the worst thing to do is to sit right down after physical exercise, that you should walk around and come down slowly. So what does this test make you do - lay right down.
I've had this cardiologist for 5 years. I went with a recommendation from my long-time cardiologist who was retiring and who I had great faith in. I've liked the fact that this cardiologist is always available. She doesn't overbook her appointments. She takes the time to talk to me during the appointments. I've always felt comfortable with her. But this stress echo thing bugs me. I don't understand why she's making this her protocol. She did go out on her own 2 years ago - is a stress echo that much more revenue generating than an echo?
And thus ends this novel -
Karlynn
