Procedures
Once your doctor refers you for a TOE, one of our friendly administration staff will contact you to book your procedure and give you all the relevant information.
You will need to be nil by mouth for six hours prior to your admission to Cardia. You can continue to drink clear fluids until two hours prior to the procedure.
If you are taking any medicines in the morning, do NOT take on the day of the procedure. If you are unsure about medications, you are welcome to call or email us, otherwise bring all your medications with you on the morning of the procedure and the nurses can guide you which ones to take.
Cardia is located at 217 Shakespeare Road, Milford. There is plenty of free parking.
Upon arrival to Cardia, you will be greeted by our administrators or one of the nursing staff. Following this, one of the clinical staff will take you through to the admission and recovery area and will set you up in one of the bed spaces, which is where you will stay before and after your procedure. You will be asked to change into a gown and there is bedside storage where you may keep your belongings.
We please ask that if you are unwell on the day of your procedure, you let us know as soon as possible so we can arrange an alternative date for you.
During the admission process, the nurse will ask you some questions about your medical history, check your blood pressure and heart rate and insert an IV line into your arm. The Cardiologist will then come and sign a consent form with you, and you will have the chance to discuss any concerns or ask any questions you may have.
Once your admission is completed and you have signed your consent form, you will be taken into the lab for your TOE.
You are welcome to bring a support person with you, but we kindly ask for no more than two visitors. Your support person is welcome to sit with you before and after your procedure, but due to limited space in our recovery area, we may have to limit this to one person at busy times.
If your visitor or pick up person is wanting to stay close while they are waiting for you, our clinic is located close to shopping centres and cafes, and we are happy to point you in the direction of these.
After your TOE, you will come back out into the same recovery space that you were admitted in. Recovery time for a TOE is approximately 2 hours. If there are any complications, you may be required to stay longer. All procedures done at Cardia are day-stay, so you will be able to go home the same day.
After approximately 30 minutes you will be given some water to sip to check that the anaesthetic spray in your throat has worn off.
Once this is checked and cleared, you will be offered a warm or cold drink, and morning tea, generally a cheese or date scone depending on your preference. Our food is sourced from local cafes and is fresh on the day. We can also cater for any dietary requirements you may have.
You must have a friend or a family member to pick you up and stay with you the night of the procedure. You will not be allowed to drive for 24 hours after the TOE.
We will keep you and your family member or pick up person informed about your recovery process and when you can expect to go home. The clinical staff will make sure you have all the information you need for your discharge, and you are always welcome to ask us any questions during your stay.
You will be given detailed discharge information by one of the nurses before you leave Cardia. You can access a copy of this information below:
We aim to make your stay at Cardia as relaxed as possible. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there is any way we can assist in making this happen.
