Patient Information
Emergency Information
If you require urgent or immediate attention please call 000 (Triple 0)
Emergency Departments are located at Gosford Hospital and Wyong Hospital
Gosford Hospital Phone: 02 4320 2111
Wyong Hospital Phone: 02 4394 8000
First Appointment
Important
A GP or specialist referral is required for consultations. A GP referral is valid for 12 months from date of referral, a specialist referral is valid for 3 months.
What to bring
Please bring the following information to your first appointment:
- A referral letter if this has not already been supplied
- All current medications (including Webster pack or card)
- Medicare/ DVA card
- Health insurance details (if applicable)
- Any cardiac tests performed, any discharge letters from hospital.
Upon arrival, all new patients will be required to complete our new patient form.
Fee Information
At Broadwater Cardiology, we strive to offer the best in specialist Cardiology care while keeping things affordable for our patients.
Our consultation gap is set lower than the AMA recommended fee, and we gladly extend discounts to health care card holders. DVA patients are bulk billed for their convenience.
Most testing is also bulk billed, and we’ll always do our best to inform you if any exceptions apply. When it comes to hospital procedures, we aim for no-gap services, meaning no out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Our Locations
Broadwater Cardiology is based on the central coast in NSW. Dr Mooney consults out of rooms in Gosford and Kanwal. We work with Gosford and Wyong Public Hospitals, Gosford and Tuggerah Lakes Private Hospitals and Macquarie University Hospital
Gosford
Main Rooms: Suite 2, 54 William Street, Gosford NSW 2250
Kanwal
Consulting Suites: Tuggerah Lakes Private Hospital.
Cnr Pacific highway and Craig Avenue, Kanwal NSW 2259
Call us to book your appointment.
Procedure information
Monitoring electrical activity of the heart
This is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart in real time.
It involves placing 10 electrodes across the chest and limbs, and takes a couple of minutes. An ECG tells us about the electrical rhythm and any possible problems with this.
We currently refer patients externally on the Central Coast for this test though will incorporate it as part of our service in due course.
This is a monitor of the heart’s electrical activity, though unlike the ECG it is worn continuously for usually a day, occasionally two. It has fewer electrodes than an ECG, with a small module attached which can be strapped to the chest. The electrodes remain on for the duration of the test.
You are asked to provide a record of any symptoms that you have, and this includes periods of exercise or stress, any palpitations or dizzy spells.
which allows us to match up what you experience with what we record.
This test allows detection of any abnormal heart rhythm in the time it is worn. It also shows the overall heart rate throughout the day- at rest and with activity. It is useful for detecting arrhythmia’s, conduction problems and ectopic beats.
The holter monitor is arranged externally on the Central Coast and is bulk billed.
This is a longer term monitor of the hearts electrical activity, able to give readings up to 28 days.
It uses a single electrode to the chest, with a small button attached with a lead that can sit in your pocket.
It is less obtrusive than a holter, and spare electrodes allow patients to temporarily disconnect so they can shower or have a swim.
The Heart bug is useful in monitoring for longer, so it is handy if symptoms are less frequent.
The Heart bug is not currently reimbursed by medicare, so it incurs an out of pocket expense. This is arranged externally on the Central Coast, and does incur a cost to the provider.
This is an implantable monitor, roughly the size of a standard USB chip. It can last up to 3 years, providing electrical recordings of the heart’s activities. It is used under specific circumstances as it is an invasive procedure and the funding under medicare or by health insurance requires that it meets certain conditions.
An implantable recorder can be inserted under local anaesthetic, discretely under the skin on the chest. Once implanted, there are no restrictions on what you do.
Imaging the heart
This is an ultrasound of your heart and is conducted by an experienced sonographer.
The test takes about 30-45 minutes, and requires you to lie on your side while the sonographer takes a number of images of the heart. You may be asked to change position, take deep breaths and hold, all to get the best picture quality.
An Echo provides a lot of information to a Cardiologist, including overall function as well as particular shape and function of valves and chambers.
This test is conducted externally, and is bulk billed.
Unlike the TTE or echo, this is an invasive test. It is an ultrasound, though requires sedation to allow pictures of the back of the heart to be taken.
This test is a day procedure to hospital. It requires fasting as sedation is given and you are not safe to drive home after the procedure.
A TOE is useful for looking at part of the heart closer to the back. It can give us information if there is a clot (especially prior to a cardioversion), or specific information on some of the valves and chambers that are located further back.
This test can be arranged through either the public or private sectors.
This is a CT scan of the heart, and can either be organised by your GP or our practice. It does not use any preparation or contrast dye.
A calcium score gives added information on your risk of heart disease, and is useful as a screening test in otherwise well patients with risk factors.
A coronary calcium score is not covered by medicare and incurs out of pocket expense.
This is a CT scan of the heart that uses contrast dye to highlight the coronary arteries and other features of the heart like valves and the chambers.
A coronary specific CT angiogram (CCTA) is the most common scan performed, and is a virtual ‘angiogram’, allowing us to look at the coronary arteries.
A Cardiac CT scan uses contrast dye to highlight the coronary arteries. A coronary specific CT scan (‘CCTA’) can have additional preparation including medication before the scan, all to get the best images possible of the heart
A cardiac MRI is a test which uses magnetic resonance to give information on heart structure, function and changes to the underlying heart tissue.
An MRI usually takes 30-45 minutes. It generally requires a needle into the arm to give contrast.
The scan is conducted by experienced technicians. They talk you through the scan steps, which may include stages where you need to hold your breath. You are given headphones so the technicians can keep in touch with you.
A cardiac MRI is an excellent test for looking at the underlying cardiac tissue. It also gives information on the hearts structures and function in certain conditions that
Procedures on the Heart
This procedure is performed under sedation with an anaesthetist. A trans oesophageal echocardogram can sometimes be done before, to ensure there is no clot in the heart.
It involves an electrical discharge from pads applied to the chest, and is performed to override arrhythmia’s like atrial flutter and fibrillation, and restore normal rhythm.
As with the TOE, this is a day procedure to hospital. It requires fasting as sedation is given and you are not safe to drive home after the procedure.
This test can be arranged through either the public or private sectors.
This is an invasive test which looks at the coronary arteries, and can also give information on narrowing (stenosis) in these arteries and if needed, pressure readings inside the chambers of the heart. It can determine if stenosis are able to be managed by medications alone, if stents are needed, or if coronary artery bypass surgery is required.
It involves light sedation, and a needle most commonly into an artery in the wrist, occasionally it may require access through an artery in the groin. This is a day procedure, and driving home after is not safe.
This test can either be performed at Gosford public or private hospital as a day procedure, though if there is follow on to stenting, patients are generally kept in hospital overnight for observation.
Coronary stenting (Percutaneous coronary intervention or PCI) can be conducted as a follow on procedure from this. If there is sufficient narrowing in the coronary arteries, a stent may be required and can be conducted as part of the same procedure. It involves opening up the stenosis with a balloon, and then placing one or more metal struts in the coronary artery to keep them open.
Having stents placed means staying on 2 antiplatelet agents (blood thinners) for at least 6, more commonly up to 12 months. It generally means an overnight stay in hospital. Driving is not permitted for one week after having a stent.
Helpful Resources
The following is a list of links to websites that other patients have found particularly useful: