When living with a cardiology condition, you may have to undergo various investigations or medical tests to help trat your condition.
We know these can sometimes be scary for people as they might not know what the tests involve.
Below we have put some information and videos/links which may be helpful.
If you have any specific questions about a cardiology medical investigation or test that you are booked for, please feel free to speak to your cardiac nurse about this.
An Angiogram/Angioplasty is a Cardiology procedure which involved inserting a wire catheter through an artery either in the arm or leg. Sometimes you might hear this being called an "Angio". The Angiogram will look at the coronary arteries (arteries which sit on the outside of the heart muscle). The Cardiologist may decide a stent is needed when they are doing the procedure. You will be awake through the whole procedure and the Cath lab nurses will ensure you are comfortable and feeling OK.
To learn more about this, look at the video below.
An Echocardiogram, sometimes called an echo, is an ultrasound scan on the heart. A Cardiac physiologist will complete the echo and will talk you through the whole process. They will likely use a bit of cool jelly on an ultrasound probe and then use a machine to take images of how the heart muscle is pumping and the heart valves.
To learn more about an Echo, look at the video below.
Cardiac MRI is a heart specific Magnetic resonance imaging test. The machine uses magnetic and radio waves to show detailed pictures of the inside of your heart. You will lay down on a bed which will move in and out of a donut shaped machine. Sometimes the machine can be loud, but the radiographers will support you with this and possibly give you headphones to help. A cardiac MRI might be needed to get more focussed picture of the heart.
To learn more about Cardiac MRI's, look at the video below.
As well as a standard Cardiac MRI, your cardiologist may recommend you have a cardiac MRI stress test. This is a test that looks at how well your heart works when it has to work a bit harder than usual.
A cardiac MRI stress test is different from an exercise ECG, or stress test, which looks at how your heart works when exercising. During an MRI stress test you will be given medicine through a vein in your arm which speeds up your heart rate. This shows how your heart works under pressure (like exercising). A radiographer, or cardiac radiographer, will be with you during the test.
The test is safe and painless. You may feel some effects from the medicine, such as shortness of breath and a sudden hot flush feeling. The medicine is only in your system for a short amount of time, so these effects stop shortly after the medicine has been given.
A Myocardial perfusion scan may be recommended by your Cardiologist to look at how well your heart muscle is being supplied with blood. Your doctors may refer you for other tests if they think your coronary arteries are narrowing. You may also hear the Myocardial perfusion scan being called a thallium scan, MIBI scan, technetium scan or nuclear medicine scan.
The Myocardial perfusion scan is split into a rest and stress parts, so the team is able to see how your heart reacts to exercise. As such, the appointment can take up to around 4 hours to complete.
To learn more about Myocardial perfusion scans, look at the video below.