Patients experiencing chest pain or breathlessness where angina is suspected or where coronary disease is already known and the culprit vessel needs to be identified.
Yes, patients are generally required to stop any medications that slow the heart rate down for 48 hours before the test. Sometimes an additional drug called Atropine is needed to increase the heart rate. This can affect the vision slightly so you should not drive to the test and if you suffer from glaucoma, please let us know beforehand.
No. You may feel the heart pumping a bit harder in your chest in the final few minutes. All effects wear off within a few mins after stopping the Dobutamine infusion.
An example of a Transoesophageal ultrasound image.
Transoesophageal Echocardiography
This is a more invasive test. The principle is that the ultrasound scan of the heart takes place from the food pipe (oesophagus) because the oesophagus is located next to the heart internally and accordingly, the pictures obtained are clearer, particularly of heart valves.
You have a cannula inserted into your vein and ECG electrodes attached to your chest. You will be given several puffs of a local anaesthetic throat spray to numb the throat and then be asked to lie on your left hand side on the bed. An IV sedative agent (Midazolam) is then administered through the cannula which will make you sleepy but will not fully put you to sleep.
A flexible tube (probe) with a tiny ultrasound scanner at its tip will be passed to the back of your throat and you will be asked to swallow the probe which then passes smoothly (it is coated with a lubricant gel) into your food pipe and the echocardiogram scan of the heart is performed over the next 10-20 mins depending on the clinical question(s) being answered.
This is a specialist test requested only after a thorough assessment by a Cardiologist. It is typically performed to assess heart valve disease or holes in the heart.
No. There may be some discomfort in the throat but we take steps to minimise this i.e. local anaesthetic spray and sedation.
Yes. You must not eat or drink for 6 hours beforehand. You should not drive to the test as you will be sedated for it. It is advisable to bring somebody with you to the test for this reason.
There is a recovery period for 30-60 mins afterwards depending how sleepy you still feel after the scan. It is for this reason, you must not drive to the test and it is advisable that you bring somebody with you.
From start to finish, allow 1 hour, but the probe is only down in the food pipe for 10-20 mins.
