What To Expect During A Heart Scan & How To Prepare

Undergoing a heart scan can be an intimidating prospect, but it doesn’t need to be, and you shouldn’t worry if you have an upcoming appointment. This article provides a detailed guide on what to expect during a heart scan and how best to prepare for your appointment.

Knowing what to expect beforehand can help ease any stress or anxiety you have about the procedure, and with the right knowledge and preparation, your heart scan experience should be straightforward and without surprises. 

Read on to discover all you need to know from our Cardiologist Doctors.

What To Expect

A heart scan, or echocardiogram, is a non-invasive imaging test that produces detailed images of your heart, helping Doctors diagnose and treat certain cardiac conditions. If you’re scheduled for one of our procedures, it’s important to know what to expect during a heart scan so you can better prepare yourself for the procedure.

Our Procedures

At EchoMed, we provide various heart scans, including Echocardiograms, Electrocardiograms, 7-day Holter Monitors, and Exercise ECGs, which are all painless and non-invasive tests.

The first step of a heart scan usually involves changing into a medical gown and lying on an examination couch. The Doctor will then place electrodes on your chest to measure your heart rhythm and may ask you to lie on your left-hand side, at which point an ultrasound probe coated in gel is passed across the bare chest, collecting images from several different angles.

Once all the necessary images and measurements are taken (this takes around 15-20 minutes), the electrodes will be disconnected, we will clean off the gel, and you may get dressed and prepare to receive your results.

Your Results

When choosing EchoMed for your procedure, you can be confident that you will receive accurate results, giving you the correct information the first time trying. All our Doctors have undergone the required training to complete your procedure and hold all professional qualifications needed, meaning you can rest assured that you are in the best hands possible.

Our Doctors will take the time to go through your results with you to ensure you completely understand the data and have a clear picture of your heart and its condition. Additionally, we will send all information and a full technical report to you and your GP within 24 hours, offering our support to assist with any follow-up requirements.

For more information on our heart scans or to book an appointment, contact us today.

How To Prepare

As mentioned, having a heart scan can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be – preparing for and knowing what to expect during a heart scan can help make the process go more smoothly.

The best quality images are obtained when you are relaxed; if your heart is beating too quickly during the test, the results can be challenging to interpret. As such, you should avoid strenuous exercise or caffeine consumption in the hours leading up to the scan. However, there aren’t any specific preparations required for our echocardiogram or electrocardiogram tests, meaning you may eat, drink, and take any regular medications as usual.

It is also helpful to wear comfortable clothing and no jewellery, as these items may interfere with the imaging process and create artefacts during the scans.

EchoMed – Cardiologist Doctors

Our Cardiologist Doctors recommend cardiac screening to anybody concerned about the possibility of structural heart disease, whether they have symptoms or not. Hopefully, this article has given you more insight into what to expect during a heart scan and has given you more information on how to prepare for your procedure.

If you have any questions about your risk of cardiac conditions, please email us directly at admin@echomed.co.uk.