How long did you have to wait to see a Cardiologist?

Posted by heartme @heartme, Mar 23, 2023

My husband received his very high CAC score (1,500) early in March and the current time for him to get triaged by the intake people can take up to five weeks we were told. And that's not for an appointment, just when they will contact him to make an appointment!

Is this the norm these days? Would like to know how long you had to wait.

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Hi-

As a healthcare professional musket and IMHO, if I had that score, I would use a concierge cardiologist, at least to be seen initially. Yes, it is usually much more expensive, but if you can afford it, it gets you to the front of the line quickly. That is not medical advice. It’s just expressing what I would personally do. Good luck.

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If you really get anxious, consider a visit to the ER; that will get you results!

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Here in Canada, almost across the country, wait times for the first call to schedule a first appointment is near three months, but more urgent cases are usually dealt with more expeditiously. Time from an ER or GP visit where a problem is revealed until first contact with a specialist is typically six months.

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@gloaming

Here in Canada, almost across the country, wait times for the first call to schedule a first appointment is near three months, but more urgent cases are usually dealt with more expeditiously. Time from an ER or GP visit where a problem is revealed until first contact with a specialist is typically six months.

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Oh my!

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@maryecox

If you really get anxious, consider a visit to the ER; that will get you results!

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If he has any symptoms we will; otherwise it doesn't seem ethical to just go to the ER and our insurance wouldn't cover a non-emergency.

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@jasper1072

Hi-

As a healthcare professional musket and IMHO, if I had that score, I would use a concierge cardiologist, at least to be seen initially. Yes, it is usually much more expensive, but if you can afford it, it gets you to the front of the line quickly. That is not medical advice. It’s just expressing what I would personally do. Good luck.

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I looked into it today but it's definitely cost prohibitive for us because it would involve lots of travel on top of the annual fee since none are near us but thanks for the suggestion and good wishes!

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@heartme

I looked into it today but it's definitely cost prohibitive for us because it would involve lots of travel on top of the annual fee since none are near us but thanks for the suggestion and good wishes!

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Good luck to you and your husband, emotional roller coaster, but try to find a distraction to keep the stress down.

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Took me 3 months after diagnosed with severe Myocardial Bridge. Original appt was extended due to cardiologist unable to be there day of initial appointment.

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@heartme

If he has any symptoms we will; otherwise it doesn't seem ethical to just go to the ER and our insurance wouldn't cover a non-emergency.

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I agree. If there are no symptoms or anxiety, the ER is not a solution.

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@heartme
If you have an Internist they should be able to do initial work up and treatment- such as cholesterol and diabetes screening and prescribe cholesterol lowering drugs, diet , exercise etc.
That’s what has happened to me. I only started seeing a cardiologist when I thought I had symptoms.

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