CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
Implantable loop recorder test
- No.1 for private electrophysiology care in the UK
- Appointments in as little as 24 hours
- 99% of our cardiac patients would recommend us to their friends or family
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IMPLANTABLE LOOP RECORDER TESTS AT HCA UK
Why choose us?
At HCA UK, we treat over 36,000 cardiac patients each year – more than any other UK private healthcare provider.
Our specialist teams are highly skilled in fitting and monitoring Implantable Loop Recorders (ILR) in patients who experience infrequent symptoms or heart rhythm problems. This tiny device gives our electrophysiology consultants all the detailed information they require to provide you with a diagnosis you can trust, and the treatment you need.
Our specialist teams are highly skilled in fitting and monitoring Implantable Loop Recorders (ILR) in patients who experience infrequent symptoms or heart rhythm problems. This tiny device gives our electrophysiology consultants all the detailed information they require to provide you with a diagnosis you can trust, and the treatment you need.
An Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR) is a small, rectangular electronic device that's the size of two matchsticks stuck together. It’s inserted under the skin at the bottom of the breastbone on the left side of your chest.
The ILR records your heart's electrical activity, monitoring your heart rhythm and heart rate over a long period of time. This means it can find small changes in your heart rhythm that other tests may have missed.
By monitoring your heart in this way, our electrophysiology consultants, who are specialists in understanding and managing the heart's electrical activities, can find the cause of infrequent symptoms or heart rhythm problems.
Once inserted, the implant is invisible. It has no patches or wires, so it won’t interfere with your daily activities.
A cardiac loop recorder is around 45mm (1.5in) long, 7mm wide and 4mm deep. The case is made of metal and plastic and contains electrodes, electrical circuits and a battery.
As the ILR implant sits just beneath your skin, you might notice a faint outline if you’re slim. However, once it's in place, it shouldn’t cause you any pain or discomfort.
You might need an ILR if you're experiencing any of the following symptoms that can’t be explained by a routine ECG test:
- Regular, unexplained heart palpitations (a fluttering or pounding feeling in the chest or neck)
- Fainting (syncope)
- Dizzy spells
- An unexplained previous stroke (cryptogenic stroke)
- A heart condition that puts you at risk of potentially serious heart rhythm problems
The symptoms listed above can indicate several heart conditions. If you're experiencing any of them, it’s important to see a consultant as soon as possible. They may conduct tests to identify potential underlying causes and recommend an ILR implant if long-term monitoring is necessary.
ILR’s monitor your heart rate and rhythm and record abnormal electrical activity. The recorded information is stored in its memory but also transmitted to a secure monitoring network via your mobile phone using Bluetooth. This system is known as remote monitoring.
Our highly trained cardiac physiologists oversee the remote monitoring systems for many types of cardiac rhythm devices, reviewing the information with our cardiologists and medical teams.
Your implant will begin recording your heart’s activity automatically if it recognises something unusual. If you don’t have a compatible mobile phone, our cardiac physiologists will give you a transmitting device to put beside your bed. This device sends the information recorded by your ILR implant to our team at night.
You can record any symptoms you have using the app on your phone, so we can correlate this with any recordings made by the ILR implant.
The data that's captured by your ILR helps the team make an accurate diagnosis and decide on the best treatment plan. Once the doctors know what’s causing your symptoms, they may decide to start treatment and replace or remove the ILR. The battery of an implantable loop recorder lasts for four years but it can stay in place indefinitely, if you prefer.
Fitting an ILR is a minor surgery and it’s usually done on an outpatient basis. The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic. A small incision is made in your chest and then the implant is injected under your skin.
You can find out more about the procedure in the sections below.
Our team will monitor you carefully for an hour or so after your procedure to make sure it’s safe for you to go home.
Before you’re discharged, our team will connect your ILR to your mobile phone. If you don’t have a smartphone, they’ll give you a transmitting device. This sends the information recorded by your ILR about your heart to our specialist team.
To make sure your ILR is working properly, you’ll be given a follow-up appointment to see an electrophysiologist a few weeks after it’s been fitted.
Before you’re discharged, our team will connect your ILR to your mobile phone. If you don’t have a smartphone, they’ll give you a transmitting device. This sends the information recorded by your ILR about your heart to our specialist team.
To make sure your ILR is working properly, you’ll be given a follow-up appointment to see an electrophysiologist a few weeks after it’s been fitted.
Next-day appointments
See a specialist and get on the path to an expert diagnosis in as little as 24 hours.
State-of-the-art diagnostics
With results in as little as 48 hours.
Wide-reaching expertise across the UK
Choose from 5 hospitals and 15 diagnostic centres in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Locations
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Harborne Hospital
Mindelsohn Way B15 2TQ Birmingham
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
Your loop recorder implant and test with HCA UK
What to expect
From your initial consultation through to diagnosis and treatment, we want you to feel informed and reassured. We’re always available to answer any questions you may have, but this will give you a good idea of what to expect.
You’ll be in expert hands – all of our cardiac procedures are carried out by our specialist cardiac teams in comfortable, state-of-the-art facilities.
You’ll be in expert hands – all of our cardiac procedures are carried out by our specialist cardiac teams in comfortable, state-of-the-art facilities.
01
Before your implant procedure
Fitting an ILR is a minor surgery and it’s usually done on an outpatient basis, so you won’t need to stay in hospital overnight. There’s normally no need to fast beforehand.
02
During your implant procedure
In most cases, it takes no longer than 10 to 15 minutes to fit an ILR.
There are three simple steps to the procedure:
There are three simple steps to the procedure:
- You’ll be given a local anaesthetic to numb the affected area.
- A tiny incision of around 2mm in length will be made in the skin at the bottom of the breastbone, on the left side of your chest.
- The ILR will then be injected under your skin and the incision will be closed with butterfly stitches, or sometimes surgical stitches. The injection takes only seconds to perform.
03
Immediately after your implant procedure
Once your ILR implant has been fitted, you’ll be monitored for an hour or so before being discharged. Our team will check your blood pressure, pulse, temperature and wound to make sure it’s safe for you to go home.
A member of our cardiac physiology team will connect your device to your mobile phone, explain how the remote monitoring system works and answer your questions.
If you don’t have a compatible phone, they’ll give you a transmitting device. This sends the information recorded by your ILR to your doctor at night, so it needs to be kept next to your bed at home.
A member of our cardiac physiology team will connect your device to your mobile phone, explain how the remote monitoring system works and answer your questions.
If you don’t have a compatible phone, they’ll give you a transmitting device. This sends the information recorded by your ILR to your doctor at night, so it needs to be kept next to your bed at home.
04
How the loop recorder implant works
Your implant will begin recording your heart’s activity automatically if it recognises something unusual. If you notice any symptoms, you can record them using the app on your phone so we can correlate this with information from the ILR implant.
You’ll be given a follow-up appointment to see an electrophysiologist in the weeks after your ILR is fitted to make sure that it's working properly.
The data that's captured helps the team make an accurate diagnosis and your consultant can then decide on the best treatment plan. They may replace or remove the ILR.
Accessing private health care
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll offer you a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
Loop recorder implant procedure and test FAQs
Once you've had loop recorder surgery, you may find that the site of the incision is bruised for a few days after having your ILR fitted, but this will gradually disappear.
To help with the recovery process, avoid strenuous activity for a few days and speak to your cardiologist about when you can get back to any sports. As the implant site will be bruised and sore, avoid touching or pressing anything against the site and the surrounding area until it’s healed.
You may not be able to drive if you’ve suffered faints or blackouts, or episodes of profound dizziness. Your cardiologist will advise on whether it’s safe for you to drive in those circumstances. Otherwise, once your wound has healed, you’ll be able to do everything that you did before you had the device fitted, including driving.
However, it’s best to wait a couple of days for the wound to heal before you drive or place a seatbelt over the site of your implant. If you find using a seatbelt uncomfortable after this time, you may find it helpful to use some extra padding over the site of the ILR.
Having an ILR fitted is a straightforward procedure and side effects are uncommon. However, some people do experience minor problems such as bleeding or bruising at the site of the wound. In most cases, this is nothing to worry about and these symptoms will disappear within a few weeks.
If you’ve had an ILR fitted: Once the dressing has been removed, you should check the site every day to make sure that it is healing properly. If the wound looks red, angry or inflamed, appears open, is painful to touch or is oozing yellow or green fluid, then it may be infected. You should contact your GP or cardiac care team immediately and arrange an appointment.
If you’ve had an ILR fitted: Once the dressing has been removed, you should check the site every day to make sure that it is healing properly. If the wound looks red, angry or inflamed, appears open, is painful to touch or is oozing yellow or green fluid, then it may be infected. You should contact your GP or cardiac care team immediately and arrange an appointment.
Your electrophysiologist will advise you on how long you need to have your ILR implant. It could be for several weeks or months, but it’s usually up to four years.
The process of removing an ILR is straightforward. You’ll be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area, and the ILR will be removed through a small incision.
The process of removing an ILR is straightforward. You’ll be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area, and the ILR will be removed through a small incision.
If you visit a doctor for any kind of medical test, you must tell them that you’re fitted with an ILR. MRI scans are best avoided for the first six weeks after having your ILR fitted, but can still be performed if urgent.
If you need an MRI after six weeks have passed, you must let the MRI unit know about your implant in advance and you must also tell your cardiologist so that information on the device can be examined. This is because MRI scans usually wipe data from ILR devices.
There’s no need for any special precautions before having surgery, a general anaesthetic, or any other kind of medical treatment. If you visit your dentist, please tell them you have an ILR before receiving any treatment.
For most people, it’s safe to take part in sports and go to the gym with an ILR. You can also go swimming once the wound has healed. However, you should avoid direct impact on the site of the ILR. Although this is unlikely to damage the device, you might find it uncomfortable.
If you experienced symptoms before having your ILR fitted that prevented you from taking part in sports or physical activities, then it’s important to speak to your cardiologist before trying anything new.
You need to keep the wound dry until it’s healed completely. Be careful when showering not to get the area wet. Once the wound has healed and the dressing has been removed, you can bathe and shower as usual. You can wash the area with water, but make sure you pat it dry instead of rubbing it.
You’ll be able to travel abroad and fly with an ILR implant fitted, although, ideally, you should attend your follow-up appointment with your cardiologist before doing so.
You can go through airport security scanners without a problem but, as the ILR is made of metal, it will cause an audible alert in metal detectors. You’ll be given a device identification card that you’ll need to show security staff when you’re travelling, as it tells them you’ve had an ILR fitted.
If you have a bedside monitor, we recommend you take it with you if you plan to travel for more than two weeks. The monitor will work anywhere where there’s a mobile phone signal, so your heart activity can still be monitored when you’re abroad.
Your ILR implant won't be affected by electrical appliances in the home, but it can be impacted by your mobile phone. Avoid placing your mobile phone or other electrical gadgets directly over the device or in your breast pocket or a bag close to your ILR.
There are several options when it comes to paying for your ILR. You may be covered by private medical insurance, so speak to your insurer about what your policy includes. You can also mention HCA UK as your preferred provider, as well as your chosen consultant, if you have one.
Alternatively, you can choose to self-pay. We'll give you a transparent quote for your ILR implant, so you're not surprised by any unexpected costs.
If you’d like to find out more about our payment options, please get in touch. We’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
Alternatively, you can choose to self-pay. We'll give you a transparent quote for your ILR implant, so you're not surprised by any unexpected costs.
If you’d like to find out more about our payment options, please get in touch. We’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
Our patient stories
How a health kick revealed a serious heart condition
When the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, like millions of others, 56-year-old House Manager James took the opportunity to introduce some simple daily exercise into his busy work schedule. Little did he know that the changes would reveal a hidden heart condition, that would require a triple heart bypass to fix.
How a valve replacement helped Steve breathe easy again
When Steve found out his breathlessness was caused by a narrowed aortic valve, he was terrified of the thought of the open-heart surgery that might be needed to treat it. But with the expertise of Professor Sagar Doshi at The Harborne Hospital, he learned he could have a ‘keyhole’ alternative called TAVI.
Andrew's atrial fibrillation story
"I immediately felt something was not right and stopped swimming. I didn’t have pain, but had palpitations and a shortness of breath. After a while, my heart settled down."
“Dr Segal is a wonderful cardiologist with a wonderful manner. I would highly recommend him to anyone with heart issues.”
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.