Echocardiogram Results: take 2

Speaking of echocardiograms, my cardiologist just posted her notes on the repeat exam to the online patient portal. Again, there were a lot of words and numbers that don’t mean anything to me, but I did see a few important results.

• LV ejection fraction is normal, at 57.1 %.
• Prior examinations are available and were reviewed for comparison purposes. Compared to the study dated 10/29/2020 there is no longer presence of pleural effusion.

The last echo exam already came back with a LV ejection fraction of ~51% so this test just confirmed the normal results. The most important results is the “no longer presence of pleural effusion.” When the cardiologist told me I had fluid in my lungs, I guess they were telling me I had pleural effusion. It is defined as:

A pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. Excess fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs.

That’s exactly what happened to me suddenly back in April and lasted for about six months. Initially, we thought it was a symptom of my a-fib condition, and it did improved a bit after the ablation procedure. However, I was still having issues breathing, and a later chest CT scan showed there was still fluid restricting my breathing. With the recent “more aggressive” dialysis, I think we were finally able to remove most, if not all, the excess fluid so I won’t need to physically drain the fluid by other means.

I hope the results were sent to UCLA and they’re satisfied with the updated results. That leaves the colonoscopy as the final hurdle for my kidney transplant. Yay!

==========

Now that I know what I’m looking for, I found this in the results from the first echo exam:

• Incidental Finding: There is a moderate pleural effusion noted in the left lateral region.

Interesting that my cardiologist noted it as an incidental finding, yet it was enough for UCLA to halt the transplant process until the fluid was removed and I was retested. Another peril of having two teams of specialists reviewing your medical results. 😷