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Pre-operative Cardiac Assessment
A heart assessment before surgery checks whether a heart condition needs attention first. It also helps your surgeon and anaesthetist plan your medicines and heart monitoring for the hospital stay.
An operation can affect your heart even when the surgery is elsewhere in the body. Blood pressure, heart rate and fluid levels can change during surgery and recovery, and an existing heart condition may make those changes harder to tolerate.
A pre-operative heart assessment checks whether your condition is stable and whether there are symptoms that need investigating first. The findings can change the timing of a planned operation, the medicines you take around it or how closely your heart is monitored in hospital.
A short procedure and major surgery on blood vessels place different demands on the body, and urgent surgery may leave less time for tests or treatment beforehand. The assessment helps the doctors plan for these risks, but it can't remove them altogether.
Call triple zero (000) for severe, worsening or persistent chest pain, or chest discomfort with breathlessness, sweating, nausea or pain spreading to your arm, jaw or back.
Do not wait for a routine appointment or drive yourself to hospital.
The cardiologist will ask about your heart history, examine you and look at previous test results. How you manage walking and climbing stairs shows how your body copes with activity. If you need to stop, the reason matters: breathlessness or chest discomfort gives a different picture from pain in a knee or hip. A recent change in what you can manage is particularly relevant.
New chest pain, worsening heart failure or an unstable heart rhythm may need investigation or treatment before a planned operation. In other cases, the main task is to give the hospital clear advice about medicines and monitoring.
The cardiologist's report will set out the heart findings and recommendations for your surgeon and anaesthetist. Confirm who will send the report and medicine instructions to the hospital, and who will contact you about any pending results. Report any new or worsening symptoms, even after the assessment is complete.
Whether you need a heart assessment before surgery depends on your current health, medicines and planned operation. Your GP, surgeon or anaesthetist may suggest one for reasons such as:
The cardiologist gives advice about your heart. You, your surgeon and your anaesthetist (the doctor responsible for your anaesthetic) discuss what that means for the operation, along with your other health conditions and preferences. The anaesthetist also asks about your breathing, allergies and any problems with previous anaesthetics.
For example, worsening heart failure may need treatment before a planned operation can go ahead. The doctors balance the benefit of treating the heart problem first against the consequences of delaying the surgery. The heart assessment informs that decision, but it isn't a blanket clearance for every part of the operation.
If you take medicine to prevent blood clots, the doctors need to weigh up the risks of bleeding and unwanted clots. Tell them if you have a coronary stent and when it was inserted. The advice will depend on your medicine, why you take it and the operation.
Don't stop or change heart medicines without medical advice. Before surgery, check which medicines to take and when to restart any that are stopped. If you've been given different instructions, ask your doctors to clarify them. Tell them about supplements and medicines you buy without a prescription too.
You won't necessarily need new tests. The cardiologist will look at any previous results alongside your symptoms, health and planned operation.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) records your heart's electrical signals and can show an abnormal heartbeat. Whether you need one before surgery depends on your medical history and the operation.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan that shows how well the heart pumps and how the valves work. It may help explain breathlessness or worsening heart failure, or a concerning murmur (an extra sound heard through a stethoscope). It isn't needed before every operation.
A stress echocardiogram shows how your heart muscle responds to exercise. It's considered when the result could change your treatment or surgery plans. People having lower-risk surgery without concerning symptoms generally don't need a routine stress test.
Blood tests may check kidney function or look for anaemia, which reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. These tests are done outside Heartscope.
You'll need a valid referral from your GP or specialist for this consultation. The referral should include the planned operation, its date if known and any questions from your surgeon or anaesthetist.
Consultations are privately billed. If you're eligible, Medicare pays part of the consultation fee when you have a valid referral from your GP or specialist. The clinic will confirm the amount left to pay before the visit.
If tests are recommended, their fees will be explained separately. The cardiologist will send your GP a report with the findings and any treatment advice.
Heartscope cardiologists see patients at clinics in Melbourne and Queensland. If you have a referral, our team can confirm the location and appointment details.
View clinic locationsYes. A cardiologist does the assessment after a valid referral from your GP or specialist. Surgery and other hospital procedures take place in hospital, not at Heartscope clinics.
Doctors sometimes use the term for a heart assessment before surgery, which checks the chance of heart problems and whether you need treatment first. It describes the assessment and isn't a guarantee about the operation.
No. The cardiologist will ask what's making walking difficult and about any other symptoms, and will consider a stress test if the result could change your treatment or the plan for surgery.
Yes, if the hospital asks you to attend. This appointment helps you prepare for the operation. You'll still need to speak with the anaesthetist and follow the hospital's instructions, even after a heart assessment.
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