EKG

What is a pre-operative physical?

A preoperative physical is performed prior to surgical or medical procedures that involve the use of anesthesia or other strong medications. At Internal Medicine Associates, we do preoperative physicals for patients who are going for elective cosmetic surgeries, such as liposuction, abdominoplasty, facelifts, and breast augmentation. For orthopedic surgeries, such as total knee replacement or total hip replacements, they require that the patient is optimized prior to the surgery, which requires an in-depth history and physical, complete blood testing, electrocardiograms, and stopping or adjusting any blood thinners. During the physical, Dr. Rashid will look for any potential abnormalities that could cause complications during the procedure. A preoperative physical is needed for the doctor to assess a patient’s ability to withstand the effects of the anesthesia for the procedure.

What does an EKG show?

An EKG, also called an electrocardiogram, is a test used to evaluate heart function. The test involves monitoring the electrical activity of the heart through the use of electrodes that are placed on various areas of the chest and back. An EKG uses a specific type of machine that reads the electrical impulses collected through the electrodes and displays them as lines on a piece of paper. The peaks and valleys that make up the line can be interpreted as contractions of the heart muscles. If the patient is not a regular patient of the practice, previous electrocardiograms from the hospital or primary care physicians are requested to compare for any changes, which may require further testing, such as stress test or even cardiac catheterizations for high-risk patients.

An EKG can reveal:

• If you have an abnormal heart rhythm
• How well the heart is functioning
• If there is a risk of heart disease or if there are other cardiac conditions present