I have been scheduled for my surgery next month and will soon be getting all the necessary blood work and an EKG - what does this involve? Please share your experience on the testing portion and how long results took. I'm wondering if the results will impact my surgery date or is it safe to book my flight/hotel now? All advice welcome, thanks :biggrin:

An EKG measures your heart rate/rhythm and can let doctors know if you're having any problems with the beating of your heart. The test is not that long. They put electrodes on certain parts of your body, which have "sticky" backs so they can stick to your skin. Once that's done, they start the machine and it runs for a little while, not sure exactly how long. This long sheet of paper rolls out and you can see your heart rate lines. A doctor then looks at your results.

I had an EKG done in my PCP's office by a medical assistant. It took less than 15 minutes from start to finish. They placed sticky pads on various locations on my chest, arms and I think legs (I don't really remember). They then attached wires and turned on a machine that recorded a graph on paper. I believe it's basically measuring to make sure there are no blockages. They then took it to the doctor to read and I was released to go home. It was quick and painless.

IMO, I would wait until you've had it done before booking a flight just in case there is a problem.

From Wikipedia:

"An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG, abbreviated from the German Elektrokardiogramm) is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time. Its name is made of different parts: electro, because it is related to electrical activity, cardio, Greek for heart, gram, a Greek root meaning "to write". In the USA, the abbreviation "EKG" is often preferred over "ECG", while "ECG" is used universally in the UK and many other countries."

It's an easy test, takes less than a few minutes - leads (small circular disks that stick to your skin) are placed on your chest, arms and legs, the electrode (a wire) attaches to it and connects to the electrocardiograph. You feel nothing other than the leads being placed - nothing more than a bandaid feeling. :biggrin: The test results print out right then and there, but your doctor will have to read it (usually an EKG technician or a nurse runs the test). The test is used to measure and diagnose abnormal rhythms of the heart. How long test results take really depends on your doctor and the hospital. If it were me, I'd wait until all test results are back and I had a surgery date before I'd book a flight and hotel. Where are you going for your surgery? And best of luck to you with everything!

Thanks for the info - now I understand. I am booked for August 21 in Mississauga, Ontario so I hope to get the tests done and results cleared in the next few weeks so I can finalize all my travel plans. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I am given the clean bill of health (in a matter of speaking) so I can get ready for my surgery :biggrin: