I saw the cardiologist during the week. While the outlook is far from grim, there is a chance that I have one of the “hole-in-the-heart” conditions. I’m to have a test next week called a transoesophageal echocardiogram or TOE (TEE for American readers, since oesophagus starts with ‘e’ up there).
A TOE involves me swallowing an ultrasound transducer (a tiny one designed for the job, not one like those used for foetal ultrasound, ladies!). The transducer ends up in the stomach (which sits right beside the heart) allowing images to be taken of the heart without having to work past bone and muscle like a normal echocardiogram.
The specific condition I’m being tested for is patent foramen ovale (Wikipedia can tell you all about it here. As far as atrial septal defects (the medical term for “hole-in-the-heart”) go it’s one of the more minor ones, but I guess if it’s worth testing for it’s worth treating.
The reason it might be relevant in my case is that it provides one possible explanation for the clots that might have caused my cardiac episodes. Clots in the veins are quite common, but the veinous system carries them to the lungs and they generally don’t cause issues. A hole-in-the-heart provides a path for clots to cross over into the arteries, where they can cause issues by causing blockage in coronary arteries (leading to heart attack), cerebral arteries (leading to stroke) or any other part of the body for that matter.
So I’m off to the hospital to have a tube rammed down my neck and get some more pictures taken of my heart. I’m starting to feel a bit like a pincushion, but if we can get some answers it will be worthwhile. Wish me luck!
Crossed Wires 