I'm fairly new to this whole process and right now I'm finishing up my 6 month doctor supervised diet (last appt in Sept) and my bariatric surgeons are beginning to send me off for the pre-op testing. I have been scheduled for a pulmonary function test which is no biggie since I've done that before. They are also doing the labwork that day which is no big deal. My question is about the cardiolite stress test and echocardiogram they have ordered. I've googled them and know what they are, but I'd like to know from a patient's perspective what its like to go through them (don't hold back). I'm a little concerned about the camera they use for the stress test. The picture from my doctor's office website shows a machine that resembles a CT scan or MRI machine. I am claustrophobic and have pretty severe panic attacks (even had one 2 days ago going through an automated car wash!!) What should I expect?

Thanks,

Tina

I just had my echo stress test yesterday!

It was more like an ultrasound machine than anything else.

No tunnels to go into at all!!

At least the one I had done was.

Hope it helps calm your nerves!!

I worked in echo and stress testing for years and there are several types of tests. The echo is just an ultrasound like a baby ultrasound but of your heart. About 35 minutes. Gel's a little cold and the tech has to get up under your girls on the left side but that's it. There are several types of stress tests. You have a stress echo which is where they put you on the treadmill at a high elevation, you walk really fast and then they give you a little injection of bubble solution and follow that with the heart echo (ultrasound).

Then you have a regular stress test. That is treadmill with EKG stips on you and after you complete the treadmill, you lay on the bed to let your heart rate come back down and see what the EKG strips say.

Then you have a nuclear stress test. The nuclear sounds like what you were explaining in the pictures. You will either do the treadmill or get an injection to get your heart rate up. From what patient's tell me, you want to do the treadmill. The injection, I'm told, can make you heat up and your heart can really race. There's essentially nothing wrong with you but people panic because the feeling is not expected.

It works like this. No food or liquids 4 hours prior to testing. You go back with the tech and get a little injection of cardiolite. You go under the camera. You lay on a bed type thing with your arms over your head. The bed slides up under the scanner. Everything is open so typically the claustrophobia isn't an issue. You get an initial set of pictures. Then you get on the treadmill or get the injection. Then you get back under the camera for a second set of pics. They compare the pre and post heart rate elevation to see what your heart looks like under stress. The whole thing takes between 2 and three hours with alot of waiting in between machines. Hope they just do a regular treadmill stress test on you and then you don't have to worry about it.

Let me know if you need more info. Also, no caffeine 24 hours prior to testing. It messes with the heart rate.

Edited July 27, 200817 yr by debgoodman
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Thanks for the info. Yes, I have to do the nuclear testing with the cardiolite injection. I've heard about the medicine induced exercise stuff and I definitely don't want that! I'll do the treadmill thank you very much! LOL They did give me instructions as to no caffeine for 24 hours and nothing to eat or drink after midnight. I am supposed to drink 8 oz of Water 30 minutes before my test. I guess I'll have to muddle through somehow. One more hurdle in my journey. At least at the end, I'll have a pretty clear picture as to how healthy or unhealthy I really am.

Thanks again for the information.

I had the nuclear stress test also. The machine they put you in is kind of like a chair so it doesn't feel so restrictive. Nothing like an MRI. You just have to be still for a few minutes.