Cardiologist visits

[greg]

What is considered normal cardiologist visit frequence following OHS?
The reason I ask is I had AVR in Nov. of 2007. Since then I have seen my Cardio several times while stabilizing INR levels but haven't seen him much since. I've had 1 echocardiogram and 2 stress EKG's but not much else.
I haven't seen or heard from him in over a year.
Don't miss-understand me, I have not had a known reason to contact him since one passing out episode in march of 2006. It's like I don't call you, you don't call me.... Just wondering what is normal. Thanks.

 

[geebee]

Unless something is wrong, I see my cardio yearly and have echoes every two years.

 

[greg]

Thanks Gina,
That's what I was hoping to hear.

 

[hensylee]

They should have you scheduled for regular visits.

 

[Lynlw]

What is considered normal cardiologist visit frequence following OHS?
The reason I ask is I had AVR in Nov. of 2007. Since then I have seen my Cardio several times while stabilizing INR levels but haven't seen him much since. I've had 1 echocardiogram and 2 stress EKG's but not much else.
I haven't seen or heard from him in over a year.
Don't miss-understand me, I have not had a known reason to contact him since one passing out episode in march of 2006. It's like I don't call you, you don't call me.... Just wondering what is normal. Thanks.

When did you have surgery? I think you made a typo,

 

[greg]

Yes I made a rather big typo...........Sorry. OHS was Nov of 2003 not 2007.

 

[sue943]

I saw mine at about seven weeks, then about six weeks later, then three months after that, then roughly six monthly. When I saw him a few weeks back he said he would see me in January and would arrange an echo and ECG prior to my appointment.

 

[Guest]

I see mine every six months and have an echo yearly.

Ditto for me.


And, as Ann noted, I believe they should've scheduled your follow-ups ... mine always do....



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[Philip B]

Cardio doc visits

Cardio doc visits

I saw mine immediately after surgery. and again at six weeks post-op. After the six week visit he told me things looked excellent and to schedule another apointment in five to six months before I left his office.

One of his assistants monitors and advises me on the INR stuff. I hear from her every couple of weeks. She told me when I start home testing next week she'll start cutting back to checking with me about once a month.

As long as problems aren't being presented, it seems that cardio docs would rather focus their attention on folks who those who are having problems. I guess the old saying, "no news is good news" isn't a bad thing.

-Philip

 

[debster913]

It all depends, like others said, on the individual. I saw mine practically monthly for the first 8 months following my surgery, and not because I wsa scheduled to, or even wanted to, it's just that little things came up that required the cardio's attention.

Now I see him every six months for an echo on my femoral artery (had an angioplasty to open up scar tissue following my surgery) and a valve echo every 12 months.

 

[nearyneary]

Like everyone else said, it depends on your individual situation. I had cardio visits and echos 3 and 9 months after surgery because my cardio thought at first that my repair had failed (echo showed a moderate/severe leak). Then I moved from New York to Virginia, and my new cardio thinks the repair is fine (only mildly leaking, plus my left ventricle shrunk down to normal size), so he has me on an annual follow-up schedule, including echo.