Cardiac Clearance

Anyone know what this will entail?  I have no history of heart problems... My surgeon did not think it was necessary, but my PCP has requested I do it anyhow...

What will they make me do?  Will it hurt is a better question! :)  

I am seeing Dr. Cole at MidAtlantic Cardiovascular on the 26th... anyone have any advice?

Advice :  Take a deep breathe and breath-
My PCP pulled this one on me 1 week preop  -- It was not a big deal at all
probaby just an EKG, echocardiogram and maybe a stress test ( I did the "lazyman"
they injected dyes -   no phsysical exertion at all)

And no it won't hurt at all.

Not going to be too happy if they do an EKG because I do have to have one of them done for the surgeon's office... and it has to be in the 10 days prior, but not less than 4 days because the hospital needs the results more than 3 days prioer, blah blah blah...

If I get two that close, I am sure the insurance will deny one of them!

Angie

Darla is right first take a deep breath and relax!  This is common to have to get a cardiac clearance before surgery especially because of our pre surgery weight.   Dr. Averbach did not request one for me even though I had an abnormal EKG for years. I went and got one on my own through my PCP doctor just to be on the safe side because I did not want anything to hold up the surgery. Dr. Averbach has performed this surgery on people who have had some very serious health issues including heart conditions without no complications. If Dr. A is not worried about it you shouldn't either believe me he is good!!!  

Hang in there!
Terri

Thanks Terri,
I am hanging as well as I can...  Just sooo tired of doctors, poking, prodding and complications.  I have went from having a PCP and then Dr. A. to having a neurologist, and a neurosurgeon and a whole "team" at Johns Hopkins in the past two weeks (Brain stuff!) as well as now adding a cardiologist...

And I even hated routine dental and eye appts... Just feeling out of control and overwhelmed in  addition to having a bad day of pain from the trigeminal neuralgia...

Ugh...

Oh wow....I just looked up trigeminal neuralgia and I so feel for you! 

With regards to cardiac clearance, the only thing I had to do was the EKG.  I know your sick of being poked and prodded but it really is for the best to make sure that you are perfectly healthy for the surgery. 

Just keep thinking "this too shall pass"!

Good Luck and keep us posted!
Heather

yeah i just went today for my pre op clearance through my PCP.  I had a EKG right in the office, it was required by my surgeon to do so no matter what your deal was. 

Y ou should not get upset about it though cause personally the last thing i would want going wrong with me during surgery is my heart, that would be bad, bad, bad. 

I often wonder sometimes if pcp's sometimes take their own personal subjections about the surgery into consideration when approving people and try to make it more difficult on people.  I dint see why they make you do things if they have no reason to believe you have  a problem, (ex, you say you have no cardiac problems).  But that's probably what i would have wondered if my PCP told me to go to a cardio doc, either they think there is something wrong with me or they want to make it difficult on me, ya know what i mean.  I have ran across a few docs who thought this surgery was absolutly ridiculous. 

jen

Hang in there Angie! It will all be worth it in the end. I know that is easy for me to say and harder to deal with right now. But everyone is right. You will get through this and you will glad that you did!

Debbie

My doctor is in favor of it!  In fact I randomly picked her from my insurance companies website because everyone here told me great doctors but no one was taking new patients :(  The new one (Dr. Usha, Seton Medical Group) has been great in getting me what I need!

I do have to have an EKG the surgeon requires it...  Guess we shall see!

well thats good you have a pcp that is in favor of it.  I was worried that mine would not be, but it turns out everything is good.  Good luck !