Reading Test Results?

[Cindy]

Well..... More "newbie" questions about my Dad. I have tried to find answers without bothering you all but cannot seem to find the right place. I have my dad's echo results and am trying to understand what the various numbers mean.... Is there a web-site that can help me?
For instance - Aortic valve maximum gradient 82mmhg and mean gradient 48 mmgs. Overall ejection fraction 55%. Thank you in advance. You have helped me *so* much already!! ~~Cindy (We are still waiting on a date from the Cleveland Clinic for his surgery - probably late Aug. or early Sept.)

 

[Kevin M]

I'm sorry I cannot answer these questions for you, but please don't feel like you are bothering people here.

Personally, I've received far more help than I feel I can give, but I know that most people here are trying to give back.
Kev

 

[Peter Easton]

Asking the right questions

Asking the right questions

Those are great questions, important questions, Cindy. I'll see if I can contribute to scaring up answers, as I'm interested, too.

YOur post makes another point, it seems to me. We could really use, as part of this website (or another related one), a section with technical background material like that. As we try to become more than "patients" but informed and concerned parties in the quest for renewed health, there is a lot to learn.

Think I'll post something brief over on the "Support" forum to call attentiont to what you've written.

Peter

 

[Cindy]

Thanks Kevin & Peter

Thanks Kevin & Peter

Thanks you guys. I guess this is all so new that I don't even know which questions are normally asked. I was hoping that there might be a web-site that defined terms - outlined what was "normal" results, etc. This is certainly an education.
Also wanted to say Peter that your thread on valve choices has been tremendous. I don't know if we willl have choices or not (considering my dad's age) but at least I can speak with his doctors from a position of an informed daughter.
I spoke with the surgeon's office this morning and they said he has reviewed my dad's echo and said to go ahead and
schedule surgery. We should have a date by the middle of next week. Since we need to buy plane tickets, find lodging in Cleveland, etc. we are anxious to get a firm date on the calendar.
Thanks again! ~~Cindy

 

[Gerry]

Hi Cindy

I might be able to help you a bit with those numbers. On the assumption that the disease being measured is aortic stenosis, then this means that the valve doesn't open fully, giving a restriction to the blood flowing out of the heart.

The number of mm Hg is the pressure drop across the valve, measured in millimetres of mercury (like barometric pressure). The figures you quoted are VERY high. A normal valve has peak and average pressure drops less than 10 mm Hg. If I recall correctly, over 50 is classified as severe and up in the 80's and 90's is critical.

EF is Ejection Fraction, the percentage of the heart's blood volume it pumps out in each beat. 50 to 60% is about normal.

The other measure most often measured is the valve area. A normal valve is about 3 to 4 sq cm (when fully open). Under 1 is pretty severe and under 0.6 is classified as critical.

Hope this helps, but remember, I am only a layman, not a doctor.

Best regards

 

[Peter Easton]

First rate

First rate

First rate, Gerry! Your explanations cleared some things up for me as well. This is just the kind of information -- fine-tuned for accuracy by a few sympatico medical people, perhaps our own "Deep Throats" within the medical-industrial complex -- that we need to "codify" and put on some adjunct part of the site to serve as an easily-available guidebook to prospective AVRers and their families, from wherever they may come. There's a thread on the "Support" forum (called "A Learning Site") where we've begun discussing just that kind of initiative.

Peter

 

[Cindy]

Thank you Gerry

Thank you Gerry

Thanks a bunch Gerry!!! It does make me wonder however, since this echo was done December 5th..... if something were critical why they didn't tell my dad to proceed with AVR before he began experiencing symptons. The written synopsis of the echo stated he had moderate to severe stenosis and suggested if future echos were done to consider the esophogal (sp?) type.
Again, thanks for your explanation. What would I do without you all????
~~Cindy

 

[Peter Easton]

TEE

TEE

I believe the "transesophogeal echocardiogram" (TEE to its friends) is one that entails swallowing a small photographic mechanism, a little as one does in upper GI tract explorations (endoscopies? or is that the other end?). It does, I think, give a better picture of just what is happening with the aortic valve than the external echocardiogram, and one cardiologist suggested I have it, though my own (and the surgeon) thought it superfluous in my case.

Peter

 

[Kevin M]

I believe the TEE also allows for more accurate measurement taking, which I was understand is important for some replacement valve types.

The TEE is painless. The local they use to stall the gag reflex tastes awful. The whole thing is a bit uncomfortable, but they pump some sedative through an IV and you don't care after that.
Kev