During a stress echocardiography, you will have ecg electrodes attached to monitor your heart rate and rhythm, as well as a blood pressure cuff. An ultrasound of your heart is performed before and immediately after exercise.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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What to bring to your stress echo test:<\/h2>\n
Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes and bring a bottle of water. You should bring your referral letter and any appropriate cards such as Medicare or Pension cards.<\/p>\n
How to prepare for your stress echo:<\/h3>\n
Before your stress echo test, you will be given instructions on how to prepare. These instructions include directives such as not having a large meal within a couple of hours before the test. Speak to your referring doctor about whether any medications should be withheld prior to the stress echo test.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What to expect during the procedure:<\/h3>\n
It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete the test, and it is conducted in three parts.
\nYou will have ECG electrodes applied to your chest and connected to leads to monitor your heart rhythm and rate, you will also have a blood pressure cuff attached to your arm. This allows us to accurately assess heart function at baseline, during the exercise portion of the test and during exercise recovery.<\/p>\n
Part one:<\/b> Our cardiac sonographer technicians take a baseline set of vital signs (blood pressure, heart rhythm and heart rate) and ultrasound images prior to the test.<\/p>\n
Part two:<\/b> You will then be asked to walk on a treadmill. It will start at a slow walking pace, with the incline and speed increased every 3 minutes until:<\/p>\n\n- you need to stop due to your symptoms, or<\/li>\n
- you reach peak exercise tolerance, or<\/li>\n
- you reach the target heart rate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We monitor your blood pressure and heart whilst you are on the treadmill to measure your response to exercise. These other parameters can provide further insight into how your heart responds to stress and exercise.<\/p>\n
Part three:<\/b> Once the treadmill has stopped, we ask you to immediately lie down on the bed on your left side and a repeat echo is performed whilst your heart is working hard. This gives us echo images of your cardiac functioning when under stress. We continue to monitor your blood pressure and heart rate for approximately 5 minutes.<\/p>\n\n
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Immediately after you have stopped the treadmill exercise, we take more ultrasound images of your heart.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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What happens after your stress echocardiogram:<\/h3>\n
After the stress echo test, our cardiologists will review the results and develop a personalised treatment plan based on your individual needs or send the results to your referring doctor for further management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Why have a stress echocardiogram at Melbourne Heart Care?<\/h2>\n
At Melbourne Heart Care, we provide personalised care and treatment plans based on your individual needs. Our team of experienced cardiologists is dedicated to helping you achieve optimal heart health and improve your overall wellbeing. We use state-of-the-art equipment to provide accurate and timely diagnosis and effective management of different heart conditions.<\/p>\n\t\t