FREMANTLE HOSPITAL & HEALTH SERVICE |
Department of Cardiology - Testing Unit |
Insertable Loop Recorder ( Reveal Device ) |
| An insertable loop recorder
is a device used to diagnose sufferers of unexplained recurrent fainting or other symptoms
such as palpitations, light-headedness or dizziness. The device is smaller than a packet of chewing gum and is inserted just beneath the skin in the upper chest area. The insertion of the device is a simple outpatient procedure, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes in the Cardiac Catheter Theatre. Pre-Implant On the day of your procedure, you will be asked to present to the Cardiac Catheter Theatre at around 8am in the morning, having fasted from midnight. You can still take your medication, with a small sip of water, however, please check with the Cardiac Catheter Theatre staff if you are taking any diabetic medication or a tablet named Warfarin. You enter the hospital
through the main entrance, which is located on Once you have arrived in the pre-op area one of the nurses will need to complete some paperwork relating to your past medical history. Make sure you have with you all your medications that you are currently taking. Then you will be required to get changed into a hospital gown, so it might be a good idea to bring along a dressing gown and a pair of slippers as it can get quite chilly. Also you may wish to bring along a book to help pass the time. Please be aware that due to limited space in the pre-op/recovery area, your friends and relatives will be unable to sit with you during your stay. They will be asked to return later that afternoon to collect you. The Implant On your arrival to the Cardiac Catheter Theatre, you will be asked to move onto a large x-ray table, and you will see a lot of equipment around you. Nurses and Cardiac Scientists will prepare you for the procedure by placing ECG electrodes on your chest, cleansing your chest area with antiseptic solution and covering you with a sterile drape. You will be awake during the procedure and should experience very little discomfort. You may ask your doctor for medication to help you relax. Your doctor will inject your upper chest with a local anaesthetic that will numb the area. After the local anaesthetic has taken effect, your doctor will make a small 2cm nick in your skin. The loop recorder will then be slipped under the skin. The edges of the wound will be either sewn with a couple of dissolvable stitches or glued together. The entire procedure will take only 15 – 20 minutes. A small dressing may be applied over the incision. Post Insertion: After the insertion, you will be returned to a recovery area where you will need to wait for an hour before discharge. During that time, a Cardiac Scientist will instruct you in how to use the recorder’s activator. The recovery area can be quite cold so please let the nurses know if you need a warm blanket. Discharge: You will be discharged about an hour after the insertion. The Cardiac Scientist will give you an instruction pamphlet on how to use the activator. When the dressing is removed, you may notice a small bruise at the incision site. The bruise may become slightly larger and darker the first few days you are home. The bruise is the result of the normal healing process and will completely disappear in a week or so. If you are uncomfortable about the size and appearance of the bruise or are experiencing any discomfort, please contact your doctor. How the Recorder Works: The Insertable Loop Recorder continuously monitors the rate and rhythm of the heart. It works much like a black box in an airplane, whereby vital information is recorded during the actual fainting episode and can be played back later for detailed analysis. The recorder can continuously record the heart's rate and rhythm for up to 14 months. To capture and store the electrocardiogram (ECG) as it occurred at the time of the fainting episode, a patient places a hand-held, pager-sized Activator over the Loop Recorder after waking from an episode, and presses a button. A family member or friend also can be the one to place the Activator over the patient's device to save the information. It is important for the patient to keep the Activator handy at all times (clipped to the clothes or looped over a belt). Later, a Cardiologist analyses the stored information and determines whether the fainting episode was caused by an abnormal heart rhythm. Once the Cardiologist determines this, the device is removed and either treatment is begun or the patient is referred to other specialists. |
Transoesephageal
Echocardiography. Electrocardiography.
Echocardiography. Holter
Monitoring. King of Hearts Monitoring.
Exercise ECGs. |