Heart Murmur

[three]

My mom was a senior clinician for the University of Minnesota's CardioThoracic Surgery Department (then ranked internationally) for many, many years. She retired and the docs she worked closest with have since moved on to Harvard and the Mayo Clinic. I spent close to 20 years hearing everything there is about cardiology, transplants, etc. I'm no doc, but here are my .02:

An MRI is like an uber-x ray machine and takes a snazzy picture of our innards...but doesn't record how those innards are working - at least, not with the specificity that an ultrasound can. The echo is an ultrasound system that will be recording how your heart works - it will do so by both picture, sound, and rhythm. If the echo tech sees anything interesting - they get to slide the instrument to that area, zoom in and get the specific information they want...like in a pregnancy ultrasound. Look at it like this: the MRI is a super super good camera that takes a great shot of your friend - but the echo is the zoom lens that will show you every itty bitty stich in the seams of the jeans your friend is wearing.

Sometimes, if the MRI was done within reasonable time prior to the echo, the two will be compared and some cardiac disorders are established because of the comparison (for example - some aorta issues are found because the MRI was done first and then compared later with the echo).

Now...having said all that, from what I know via my mom - heart murmurs are pretty dang common. Many people are born with them. Many others develop them as they age. It does not by any means necessarily equate to a cardiac impediment. In other words...don't freak out - wait till you have all the information.

[OakLeaf]

I don't have a heart murmur. But a few years back I had some issues that turned out to be hormone related, and I had a whole cardiac workup. It's amazing the scary sounding things they'll diagnose you with that are completely harmless. Atrial Septal Aneurysm , Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia According to the cardiologist, utterly harmless in my case. So just beware of overdiagnosis.

Good thoughts your way.