When your doctor requests that you have a cardiac consultation they are asking for the opinion of heart specialists. All doctors have specific training that qualifies them for different areas of medical care, and when a physician refers to us they are requesting our advice regarding the diagnosis of a specific medical problem to do with your heart. We are experts in cardiac care and will be able to assess the problem and then create a medical management plan.
After the first consultation with us, a patient may be required to come on subsequent visits. This will be to initiate or continue management for their condition. One of our doctors may initiate diagnostic and therapeutic services from the initial or subsequent visits. We are leading cardiologists in Perth WA and will be able to best advise you on necessary medical treatment.
At Access Cardiology, we offer a comprehensive and progressive cardiac care service. The consultation will involve understanding your current health and medical history. We may also discuss the consideration of preventative issues such as diet and exercise, blood pressure control, and cholesterol management with the patient.
Several options may be explored during the consultation, including any previously identified cardiovascular concerns. We will also consider further cardiac testing or any other procedure that is required and then discuss this with the patient. All of our physicians at Access Cardiology are experts in what they do, and we are proud to be one of the leading WA cardiology health practices.
What are the requirements to undertake a consultation?
In order to gain a cardiac consultation, there are three key components:
The Referral
Usually, we must receive a request from an appropriate source, which means a referral from a doctor. When this request is made, specific information about the patient should be included. It is extremely important that our cardiologists receive all of the patients’ medical history. The referral should also include other information, such as the reason the referral has been made to us, and any recent diagnostic procedures that have been undertaken. Knowing these factors is crucial for our doctors to be able to make the right decisions about a patients’ health. Heart care is of the utmost importance to us, and we need to make the best decision about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
The Medical Examination
Here is where our Perth cardiologists will excel. Our doctors will consider the medical history of the patient, undertake tests and examination, and then make an appropriate decision. This will all be required to support the level of service for a consultation.
The Report
This is when our cardiologist prepares a written report of his/her findings. Alongside the diagnosis, our doctor will also include their recommendations for treatment, and any therapeutic interventions that have been planned or have already begun regarding heart care. The report will then be provided back to the referring physician.
Types of Consultations
As leading cardiologists in Perth, WA, we are able to provide support for urgent, same day cardiac consultations and same day on-site non-invasive cardiac testing, seven days a week. Otherwise, we are regularly available for scheduled appointments. All of our cardiologists are highly-trained specialists that cover a range of cardiovascular subspecialties. We are able to assist referring physicians and patients in prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of heart disease or other conditions.
Below are some of the key services we offer, and how they work:
ECHOCARDIOGRAM
Sometimes known just as an ‘echo’, this is an ultrasound assessment of the heart. An echocardiogram can evaluate the structures of the heart using a series of images and videos provided by ultrasound equipment.
Our technicians will place a special probe on various parts of the chest wall that means we are able to view the heart from different directions and be able to make a detailed assessment of the heart valves, heart muscle and blood flow.
This test usually takes 30 minutes, and on the day of the test, patients will not be allowed to consume alcohol or caffeine at least 3 hours before. We also ask patients that they do not smoke before the examination.
Patients will be required to expose their chest so need to undress to the waist (women will be given a gown to). Then, our technicians will place electrodes onto the chest and an ultrasound of the heart is performed.
When the test is finished we will provide a full written report to the patients’ referring doctor. This will be sent after the results have been fully reviewed by one of our cardiologists, which usually means after 3 – 4 working days.
EXERCISE STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAM
This kind of ‘echo’ is for testing the performance and capacity of the heart and blood vessels in response to increasing exercise. This test consists of walking on a treadmill, which gets gradually more difficult after time. The heartbeat is measured as the speed and gradient of the treadmill are increased at 3-minute intervals.
An ‘echo’ reading will be taken immediately before and after the exercise to see the difference and to understand how the heart responds to additional stress. One of our trained technicians will place a special probe on various parts of the patients’ chest and use ultrasound to create an image of the heart for us to assess.
We ask that patients bring their current medications on the day of the test so that we can understand their current medical condition. Since the patient will be exercising, we also ask that they wear comfortable footwear and loose clothing. We also ask that our patients remove their jewellery during the exercise period.
The exercise will only stop when the patient has reached a level of exhaustion. The patients’ blood pressure, pulse rate and echocardiogram will be monitored continuously. The doctor will ensure to stop the test immediately if the patient shows signs of feeling unwell, breathlessness, chest pain, or any other reasons that concern the cardiologist.
These are just two of the key procedures we offer. Other common procedures include electrocardiograms and ECG exercise stress tests, which are similar to the echocardiogram tests we provide. We also provide Holter monitoring, event monitoring, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. So if you have any concerns about your cardiovascular health, please give us a call on (08) 9389 8658 and we’d be glad to discuss any of our procedures.