Cardiac Testing
Getting the right heart test for you
Choosing the right tests for you can make all the difference. Each test has its own merits and they are complementary to each other.
To fully understand your health, Dr Nijjer may need to organise one or more tests. Dr Nijjer will take the time to explain what these tests are, what they will involve and how they will help get to the bottom of your problem.
ECG
A 12-Lead ECG can help diagnose your heart rhythm and look for underlying heart disease.
Echocardiogram
Echocardiography uses ultrasound to see the heart muscle and valves; it is used to monitor heart function.
Holter Monitoring
ECG monitoring can be performed over 24 hours to up to 14 days to diagnose the cause of palpitations
Blood Pressure
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) is the gold standard test to identify true hypertension
Cardiac CT
CT Coronary Angiography can reveal the build up of coronary disease - made up of cholesterol and calcium. It is fast and painless.
Cardiac MRI
A cardiac MRI is used to perform detailed assessment of the heart muscle. It can assess for cardiac scarring, thickening or infarction.
Coronary Angiography
Invasive coronary angiography is the gold standard test to assess the heart arteries. It is often a day case test.
Coronary Pressure Wire
Invasive pressure wire studies are the gold standard for deciding whether coronary stents are needed.
Exercise Testing
An exercise tolerance test (ETT) involves continuous ECG reading while you run on a treadmill. It can assess exercise capacity and can be important for certain jobs.
Stress Echo
Either exercise or a medicine is used to increase the heart rate and then the heart is scanned using an echocardiogram. It can detect cardiac ischaemia.
MVO2 Testing
MVO2 testing is a highly specialised test to detect the causes of breathlessness. Exercise is performed while measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
Tilt Table Testing
Patients with recurrent fainting spells can have changes in blood pressure and heart rate measured by altering the body position.
Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is a type of stress test used to help investigate pains in the chest or to look for ‘cardiac ischaemia’. This is when the heart suffers from an insufficient blood supply.
Stress Perfusion MRI
A stress perfusion MRI test is a specialist test that looks for scaring in the heart and evidence of an insufficient blood supply to the heart. When there are narrowings of the heart arteries, it can be detected by looking for changes on a stress perfusion MRI.
Invasive
Coronary angiography
A coronary angiogram is an invasive procedure which gives us the clearest and most direct look at the coronary arteries. These are the arteries that nourish the heart muscle and when they become narrowed from atherosclerosis, it leads to a central tightness across the chest called angina.
Coronary Angioplasty
Coronary Angioplasty is the treatment of coronary blockages by balloon dilatation followed by insertion of a drug-eluting stent. This treatment can improve the blood flow in heart arteries and improve symptoms. In patients having heart attacks, it is life-saving.
EPS and ablation
EPS – Electrophysiology Study and ablations are performed for patients who have recurrent palpitations caused by specific arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardias and ventricular tachycardias. If we detect certain arrhythmias then a procedure can be performed through a large vein in you leg. This allows us to reach the heart and burn away the offending parts of the heart causing the issue.
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Help Your Heart
If you have any concerns regarding your heart health, then please seek a referral to Dr Nijjer.
Call the Team: Monika, Amy, Charlotte, Erin or Grace:
0203 9838 001
Email: Secretary@DrNijjer.com
Dr Nijjer can be seen at :
68 Harley Street, London, W1G 7HE
He also practices at Cromwell Hospital, Wellington Hospital, BUPA Clinics, BMI Syon Clinic as well as Imperial Private Healthcare.
