When you get to your appointment you may be nervous and wondering "What is going to happen here?"

 

Generally an initial evaluation will last one to two hours. You will probably be given an echocardiogram to evaluate your heart because many Connective Tissue Disorders have some degree of vascular involvement.  

 

An echocardiogram, usually just called an "echo" will take around 45 minutes. You will be dressed in a hospital gown and the echo tech will be using a gel applied to your chest and a wand to ultrasound the images of your heart. You can usually see and hear the images as the tech is working. They will stop and take measurements of some of your heart structures.

 

After your echo you should be examined by a Medical Genetics doctor. There is often an assistant in the room to help the doctor. You may also see an Orthopedic doctor at this time. The doctor and his/her assistant will be measuring you in many ways. They will measure your arm span, leg length, and even the distance between your eyes. During this time they may be asking you many questions. It's best to be prepared by bringing a write up of your family health history and all of your symptoms that caused you to seek medical attention.

Make a Free Website with Yola.