Good day folks. How are you?
My uncle called me today. He lives in Texas and three months ago he had heart attack. Six days ago, he had another one. He is feeling fine, generally but doctors told him that he needs to do some transesophageal echocardiography mandatory. I know that this is a test a type of echo test actually in which the ultrasound transducer positioned on an endoscope, etc. I know al little bit about it but I want to know is transesophagel echocardiography mandatory for all heart attack survivors?
Is it necessary for him to do it?
Thank you.
Hi Aurora,
Feeling fine or not, this is a test he should strongly consider having done. Is it mandatory? No.
It DOES provide high resolution moving images of the heart. This provides information on the thickness of the heart wall - which can indicate damage. It also can show problems with the valves, how effectively the heart is pumping, and even if there are clots forming.
Side effects are usually minor, a sore throat for a few days.
If his doctor recommends it then there is a reason as to why. After two heart attacks the doctor likely wants to check for a cause and damage.
If it was my uncle I'd recommend it.
Good luck. Hope he does well.
Thank you so much for you quick answer medic – dan. I am sharing your opinion but somehow, while he was talking I figure out that he is not really into it. Maybe because he was suffering so much after heart attack, the first one, he was in a lot of pain and I believe that this is why he doesn’t want to hear about this. He is skeptical, I don’t know why because those doctors already helped him in his recovering process after first heart attack and I am sure that they still do know what the best is for him.
Do you have any idea for how long this can last?
Hello guys,
Well, there is no such thing as a mandatory test or similar, but it is a pretty important test, that's for sure.
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a test that produces pictures of your heart. TEE uses high-frequency sound waves to make detailed pictures of your heart and the arteries that lead to and from it.
The echo transducer that produces the sound waves for TEE is attached to a thin tube that passes through your mouth, down your throat and into your esophagus. Because the esophagus is so close to the upper chambers of the heart, very clear images of those heart structures and valves can be obtained.
Hey everyone,
It's true that it's not mandatory like Adria and Medic Dan told you, but it is very important and it is recommended for people who had heart attacks and even for the ones who didn't.
Doctors use TEE to find problems in your heart’s structure and function. This is the best test of its kind out there.
Maybe your uncle is afraid of it. The few risks of TEE involve passing the probe from your mouth down into your throat and esophagus. You will get medicines before the test to make you calm and to numb your throat. Even if he is afraid, he should do it.
That isn't the only risk of TEE, Health n Joy, there is also a risk of TEE causing his esophagus to bleed. It is pretty rare but it happens.
Like they told you, it is not mandatory but it is kind of necessary. It would be smart of him to do this test. This type of test can see the size of your heart and how thick its walls are, how well your heart is pumping, if there is abnormal tissue around your heart valves that could indicate bacterial, viral or fungal infections, or cancer, if blood is leaking backward through your heart valves or if your valves are narrowed or blocked.
Hey guys,
I'd suggest him to do this test, actually, you need to make him do this test if he doesn't want to because it is very important for him, especially if he already suffered from two heart attacks.
With this test, his doctor can see if he has any, literally any problems with his heart and its arteries. Not just that, he can see if he is prone to having any heart disease or to have another heart attack, or stroke.
If his doctor already told him that he needs to do this, then it's mandatory, for him and his condition.
Good day.
I couldn’t agree more with all members. You need to try to convince him that he needs to do it. This is nothing dangerous and complicated but I know how older people are hardheaded when it comes to any type of test and analyses.
I agree that every patient who survived heart attack should do transesophagel echocardiography. Actually, transesophageal echocardiograpy is recommended in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation, but use of this strategy is variable.
So convince him because this is the only way to avoid some damage that can happen him in the future.
Good luck there.
Yes, it is mandatory for all heart attack survivors. A transeosophageal echocardiogram is a special type of echocardiogram, where pictures of your heart are taken by inserting a probe into your throat. It is probably a little bit uncomfortable – well, not a little bit, a lot actually, but it is uncomfortable just for a few moments.
Well, those pictures help doctors to see what is going on with you and what is going on inside your cheats.
My advice is that everyone should do it just to be sure.
It is very important test for everyone who survived heart attack. Convince him to do it.