If you have a congenital or childhood heart condition (CoHD), you’ll likely have regular heart tests throughout your life. These tests help your healthcare team understand how your heart is working, monitor any changes and make informed decisions about your care.

Although regular appointments and tests can sometimes feel overwhelming, each one provides important information that helps keep you as healthy as possible.

Why are regular heart tests important?

Regular heart tests help your cardiologist:

• Monitor how your heart is functioning
• Detect changes early
• Guide treatment decisions
• Check whether medications or previous procedures are working as expected
• Plan future care if needed

People who continue regular specialist follow-up have significantly better long-term health outcomes.

Common heart tests

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An ECG records the electrical activity of your heart. Small sticky sensors are placed on your chest, arms and legs to measure your heart rate and rhythm.

What to expect

• Quick and painless
• No needles
• Usually completed in a few minutes

Chest X-ray

A chest X-ray provides an image of your heart and lungs. It helps your healthcare team check the size and shape of your heart and monitor any changes over time.

What to expect

• Quick and painless
• Uses a very small amount of radiation
• Commonly used as part of routine monitoring

Blood tests

Blood tests can provide important information about how your heart is functioning and whether medications or treatments are working effectively.

What to expect

• A simple blood sample from your arm
• Usually completed within a few minutes

Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)

An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create moving images of your heart. It allows your cardiologist to assess your heart’s structure, how well it pumps and how blood flows through it.

What to expect

• Safe and painless
• No radiation
• Usually takes 30–60 minutes

Exercise stress test

An exercise stress test shows how your heart responds during physical activity. You’ll usually walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike while your heart is monitored with an ECG.

The test can help measure your exercise capacity and identify whether activity causes any symptoms.

What to expect

• Exercise starts gently and gradually increases
• Your healthcare team monitors you throughout
• You can stop whenever you need to

CT scan

A CT (computerised tomography) scan creates detailed 3D images of your heart. Sometimes you’ll receive contrast dye through a small drip so your heart can be seen more clearly.

What to expect

• Painless
• Usually takes around five minutes
• You may briefly feel warm after the contrast dye is injected
• Uses a small amount of radiation

MRI scan

An MRI produces highly detailed images of your heart and is often used to assess heart muscle, scarring or inflammation.

What to expect

• Safe and painless
• No radiation
• The scanner can be noisy
• Not suitable for some people with certain metal implants or medical devices

Cardiac catheter

A cardiac catheter is a thin tube inserted through a blood vessel, usually in the groin, and guided to your heart.

It may be used to:

• Measure blood flow and pressures inside the heart
• Diagnose heart conditions
• Perform certain treatments, such as closing some heart defects, treating abnormal heart rhythms or replacing some heart valves

The procedure is performed using anaesthetic, and you won’t feel the catheter moving through your body.

How often will I need these tests?

There isn’t one schedule that suits everyone. The type and frequency of your heart tests will depend on your heart condition, previous treatments, symptoms and your cardiologist’s recommendations.

If you’re ever unsure why a test has been recommended or how often you should have one, ask your healthcare team.

This resource was developed by HeartKids and reviewed by the HeartKids Clinical, Research and Support Advisory Committee.