Sub Optimal Echocardiogram?

Hi all - Not sure if anyone can answer this but I had an echo done yesterday - took a very long time as the technician couldn't get clear views because of a haze obstructing part of the heart. He asked several times if I was, or have been a smoker , have asthma, allergies, etc. etc. all no I suggested that it might be the scarring from 3 ablations which he doubted but couldn't say for sure. Has anyone heard of ablations affecting the clarity of an echo before? He called it a "sub optimal" result and didn't know if the radiologist reading it would request another (long wait). Also mentioned I was having lots of PVC's and that wasn't helping (but no afib . . . thx

Hi Downhearted ..Not sure about the clouding, but very much doubt its due to ablation scarring. I have a good amount of that from both before ablations and some from the more extensive ablation in 2008 and it never has clouded any of my Echos done since then.

As for the PVCs, make sure you are following the magnesium/potassium repletion guidelines written about in copuous quanities on this site as well a in the 'PAC-Tamer' threads, including an article by the same name from Hans. Also make sure, if you haven't already. to read and follow to a 'T' Jackie's excellent 'The Strategy' protocol. If you follow that advice religiously it's a good bet the PVCs will quiet down to a large degree.

Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2012 12:06PM by Shannon.