Stress ECG

[mavisbacon]

Been told I need to do a stress ECG. Do Gatwick still do them? Fail that anywhere down south, preferably south west. Any experiences appreciated. Can't get through to anyone at Gatwick, and they don't return calls.

[Nightstop]

No, it's all finished at LGW medical centre. Check your PM for a solution.

[mavisbacon]

Thanks for the info. Closing medical section makes life just a little more difficult.

[opnot]

try contacting NATS medical branch at Swanwick they will hold the names of approved cardiologists who can do stress ECG at various hospitals around the country or your AME may have the same list.

[cavortingcheetah]

If that fails then, for example, follow the link here to your nearest Spire hospital.Find a Spire Hospital (http://www.spirehealthcare.com/find-a-spire-hospital/)
Once found, open and go to 'find a specialist'.
Search for cardiologists.
Telephone private appointment secretary and make booking for stress ECG, being quite sure she understands what it is for and that the Bruce Protocol will need to be followed.
Expect to pay, for hospital, cardiologist and treadmill assistant, something in the order of £300-350.
Get the cardiologist to give you or send you his report, a copy of the trace and the original trace.

[mavisbacon]

Did the stress test this morning, and yes now 360 quid worse off. Add to that 120 for an echogram. Nothing wrong, (which I already knew). Turns out the treadmill test is all about probability. Thanks for all the advice guys.

[Mr Banting]

My AME has old ECG machinery, which showed an extra Beat spike.
To solve a possible problem with our CAA in South Africa,
I consulted a specialist cardiologist to confirm that
everything was in fact normal.
Had I not done that, it would've set me back thousands to
prove it was all OK.
Anybody with similar experience?

[Radgirl]

Not sure what you mean by 'old machinery'. If the ECG machine is properly serviced then age is not important. The extra beat sounds like you not the machine, but cant see that a single extra beat would have any importance. If you are worried just ask the person using the machine to do it again.

[cavortingcheetah]

Anybody with similar experience?
Certainly.
The victim of a vendetta by one particular woman doctor, a graduate, apparently, of some piffling little medical school in Alabama, who works/worked as a senior doctor for the CAA.
It would not be expedient to relate exactly in what low esteem she is held by one or more specialists of my acquaintance. The AMEs in SA would appear to be terrified of the CAA's medical directorate knowing full well, as they do, that racial bias will be applied against them if they go to bat too hard for pilots of a reflective tone of colour.
The only way to head these little fellows off at the pass is to go to your medical clutching a copy of the trace and letter from a recently completer stress ECG/Bruce Protocol. That can be done in the UK for a Class I as well. Blood pressures are monitored throughout the exercise routine and their presentation helps to allay any anomalies usually associated with the mythical whit coat syndrome and otherwise known as short term environmental stress due to job related loss danger. That's exactly the sort of level one's BP starts off at when the fire bell goes off on rotation.
This might all cost a little more than just a Class I ECG but it impresses the muppets at SA CAA and it usually keeps your AME happy because it lets him off the hook as having been responsible for your ECG should you subsequently throw a gasper in the cockpit.
Cardiology is no the only medical facet about which the SA CAA lacks a certain comprehension. The depths of its ignorance extends to urological cancers, prescriptive medication, skin cancer and no doubt, a host of other malaises including age discrimination. Finally and as an edited sign off let me just qualify the use of the word ignorance in the context of the SA CAA medical directorate. I don't refer to lack of knowledge, although that's certainly the case. I mean a slap my forehead inability to accept the findings and reports of consultants and surgeons on the outside without any medical basis or qualification to justify such bias and intransigence.

[Radgirl]

Gosh cc your BP must be in the rafters!!!

I cant speak for SA but in most countries the ECG has to be done by the AME at the examination. It is no use getting it done elsewhere and taking the 'trace' to the medical. And please dont do a treadmill unless you have to - you may not like the result.

now back to the deep breathing exercises

[cavortingcheetah]

The AME must and will do the prone ECG as necessary. The stress ECG is another matter and is really quite fun as long as you don't weaken.
Both in the UK and in SA for a Class I medical, I have always found that a stress ECG, completed by a cardiologist and within the appropriate licence medical validity period, has always been accepted respectively by both the UK and the SA CAA medical departments. In fact my UK AME doesn't have a stress ECG machine anyway. In the case of doubt, he'd refer to a cardiologist which means, in the UK, that you'd have to go private and pay top dollar. It all depends, of course, upon what sort of medical insurance you have too.
Now back in the old days in SA when medicals were done at the Military Medical Institute (MMI), the pilot candidate was examined by a troupe of trainee doctors. As a consequence of this, results were varied and it was quite often that specialist reports were requested. Once you've had a report requested, that fact goes onto your medical record and as matter of self defence it sometimes behove the returning Class I medical candidate to summit another report at the time of the next medical in order simply to get the doctors off his back. A couple of years at PR in med school would have done many of these young jackanape quacks a lot of good.
As for my BP and thank you for the commiseration, but since the last transplant it's been stuck nicely on 117/59 which ain't bad for 80!

[10002level]

I've just been quoted £500 at the Spire hospital Gatwick. Anyone know of a more cost effective solution locally?

[cp35]

are you talking about exercise ECG? if so CAA at LGW do it for £205, at least they did last year.

[ajd1]

Done it twice now as getting ancient and want to retain a Class One.
Dr Webb-Peploe is great. Knows all about pilots and is on your side. He is CAA approved. Don't know if CAA still do it, but wouldn't go near the Belgrano.
Dr W-P tries to make sure you keep your ticket. His place is in SE London, near Elephant and Castle

[Nightstop]

Wow, great to hear Dr Webb Peploe is still in the business. Excellent chap, helped me get back my Class 1 over 24 years ago after two other Cardiologists said don't bother trying. I'll renew my aquaintance with him next annual review, thanks for posting. Please PM me his secretary's contact info.

[Loose rivets]

I didn't believe them when someone told me the renewal had gone up from three quid.

[Gordomac]

Cripes ! Aren't we supposed to be avoiding stress ? And the Medics just won't be told by anyone, let alone pilots. The fat/BMI discussion re-surfacing too. Rubbish. But try telling this lot !

[BigEndBob]

I have to do one annually for the next 3 years. Done 3 so far all fine and not as stressful as it might seem..
Try your GP to see if they can arrange as they are done regularly for car drivers to satisfy DVLA.
I was quoted £102.