Cardiologist Serving Katy, Sugar Land, Greater Houston
Cardiologist Serving Katy, Sugar Land, Greater Houston
Cardiac Testing
An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is one of the simplest and most widely used heart tests. In about ten minutes, without needles or radiation, it records the heart’s electrical activity and shows whether the rhythm is regular, whether the electrical signal is traveling normally, and whether there are signs of strain, prior damage, or reduced blood flow. At Advanced Cardiology, EKGs are performed in the office and reviewed by Adnan Khalid, MD, who uses them as a starting point for evaluating chest pain, palpitations, breathlessness, dizziness, and high blood pressure.
EKGs are performed at both the Katy and Sugar Land offices, often during the same visit as your consultation.
Board-Certified Cardiologist • Katy & Sugar Land • New Patients Welcome
Dr. Khalid reviews your symptoms, history and test results himself
Visits in Katy and Sugar Land
Catheter and device procedures at an affiliated hospital
Office follow-up on medicines and risk factors
Important Safety Information
An office EKG is for stable, non-urgent concerns. Call 911 if you have chest pain, pressure, or discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back; shortness of breath; discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; or a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. Also call 911 for fainting, a racing heartbeat with these symptoms, or signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), even if the symptoms go away. Do not use the appointment request form or office messages for emergencies.
About the Test
Every heartbeat begins with an electrical impulse that spreads through the heart in a predictable sequence, first across the upper chambers, then down through the conduction system to the lower chambers. An EKG picks up that electrical activity through small adhesive electrodes placed on the chest, arms, and legs and draws it as a tracing. Twelve views, or leads, look at the heart from different angles, which is why a standard test is called a 12-lead EKG.
The tracing tells a cardiologist several things at once: how fast the heart is beating and whether the rhythm is regular; whether the electrical signal is delayed or blocked anywhere along its path; whether the heart’s chambers are enlarged or thickened; whether part of the heart muscle is not receiving enough blood; and whether there is evidence of a prior heart attack.
The test takes about ten minutes, most of which is placing the electrodes. The recording itself captures roughly ten seconds. That brevity is the EKG’s one limitation: it shows what the heart is doing at that moment, so rhythm problems that come and go may need a longer recording with a Holter or event monitor.
When It Is Recommended
An EKG is usually the first heart test when someone has symptoms or a known condition that could affect the heart. It is a diagnostic test in these situations. Dr. Khalid may recommend one when:
Not routinely. Screening means testing people who have no symptoms. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against EKG screening for adults without symptoms who are at low risk of heart disease, because it is unlikely to help and can lead to unnecessary follow-up tests. For adults at intermediate or high risk, the Task Force found the evidence insufficient to recommend for or against routine screening EKGs. For most people without symptoms, a structured heart disease risk assessment (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history) is a more useful starting point, and Dr. Khalid decides case by case whether an EKG adds anything.
Patients with an existing heart condition may have EKGs at intervals to track changes over time, and a prior tracing on file is valuable for comparison when a new symptom appears.
What It Detects
A single ten-second tracing carries a surprising amount of information. These are the findings a cardiologist looks for.
Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, SVT, premature beats, and slow rhythms are identified directly when they are present during the recording.
Delays or blocks in the electrical pathway, such as AV block or bundle branch block, show up as characteristic patterns.
ST-segment and T-wave changes can indicate that part of the heart is not getting enough blood, especially on a tracing taken during symptoms.
Q waves and other changes leave a lasting record of a previous heart attack, including ones that went unnoticed.
Voltage patterns suggest a thickened left ventricle from long-standing high blood pressure or an enlarged atrium that predisposes to atrial fibrillation.
Prolonged QT, Brugada pattern, and pre-excitation (Wolff-Parkinson-White) are inherited electrical conditions visible on a resting tracing.
Meet Your Cardiologist
Adnan Khalid, MD is a board-certified cardiologist with fellowship training in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. An EKG is only as useful as the reading behind it. Automated machine interpretations flag many normal variants as abnormal and occasionally miss subtle findings; Dr. Khalid reads every tracing himself and interprets it in the context of your symptoms, history, and any prior EKGs.
The EKG is rarely the end of the evaluation. When it raises a question, he chooses the test that answers it: a Holter or event monitor for intermittent rhythm symptoms, an echocardiogram for structural findings, or stress testing when reduced blood flow is suspected. When the tracing is normal and reassuring, he explains that too, along with what a normal EKG does and does not exclude.
The Test
Little preparation is usually needed. Follow any instructions your care team gives you, and take your medications as prescribed unless you have been told otherwise. Wear a top that is easy to remove or open, and avoid oily lotions on the chest, which can interfere with electrode contact. Let the staff know if you have a pacemaker or defibrillator.
You will lie on an exam table while a staff member places ten small adhesive electrodes on your chest, arms, and legs. Small patches of chest hair may be shaved so the electrodes stick. You lie still and breathe normally for a few seconds while the machine records. The electrodes are then removed. The whole process takes about ten minutes; most people feel nothing beyond the adhesive, and some notice mild skin irritation when the patches come off.
Because the EKG is performed in the office, Dr. Khalid typically reviews an in-office EKG and discusses it with you. Some findings need further testing before a clear answer is possible. If the tracing needs a longer look, the office can explain the next step, such as a monitor or an echocardiogram, and help arrange it.
Your Results
A normal EKG shows a regular rhythm at a normal rate, with electrical signals traveling in the expected sequence and no signs of strain, enlargement, or prior damage. It is reassuring, but it captures only a few seconds and does not rule out coronary artery disease or intermittent rhythm problems; if symptoms continue, further evaluation is reasonable.
An abnormal EKG covers a wide range. Some findings are harmless variations or technical artifacts that resolve on a repeat tracing. Others, such as atrial fibrillation, heart block, a prolonged QT interval, or evidence of a prior heart attack, change what happens next. Dr. Khalid explains what was found, whether it matters, and what test, if any, should follow. Read more about what an abnormal EKG means.
Every EKG is kept on file. Comparison with earlier tracings is often the most useful part of a future evaluation.
Related Testing
The EKG often points to the next question. These are the tests most commonly used to answer it.
A wearable recorder worn for one to fourteen days, for rhythm symptoms that come and go and were not present during the office EKG. Learn about Holter monitoring.
Worn for up to 30 days and records during symptoms, for episodes that occur weekly or less often. Learn about event monitoring.
An ultrasound of the heart's structure and pumping function, used when the EKG suggests enlargement, prior damage, or a valve problem. Learn about echocardiography.
An EKG recorded during exercise or medication-induced stress, to evaluate blood flow when symptoms occur with exertion. Learn about stress testing.
Electrolytes, thyroid function, and a blood count identify reversible causes of rhythm changes seen on the tracing.
A calcium score or CT angiography when the EKG and risk profile raise the question of coronary artery disease. Coordinated at an outside facility.
Katy Cardiology Care
Patients from Katy, Cinco Ranch, Fulshear, and West Houston visit our Grand Parkway office for EKGs as part of a cardiology consultation, a preoperative evaluation requested by their surgical team, or follow-up of an irregular rhythm flagged by a smartwatch or a primary care visit. The test is performed in the office and reviewed by Dr. Khalid. Call our office to ask about current appointment availability.
If your primary care physician has ordered an EKG with cardiology follow-up, bring the referral; if you have prior EKGs from another provider, bring those too. For other services at this location, see cardiology care in Katy.
Advanced Cardiology – Katy
410 W Grand Pkwy S Ste 4D
Katy, TX 77494
Phone: (713) 258-6111
Advanced Cardiology – Sugar Land
7102 Tarrington Ave Suite 505
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Phone: (713) 258-6111
Sugar Land Cardiology Care
Patients from Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg, Missouri City, and Stafford visit our Tarrington Avenue office for EKGs as part of cardiology consultations, preoperative evaluations, and follow-up of high blood pressure, diabetes, and known heart conditions. Dr. Khalid reviews the tracing and discusses what it means for your care.
When the tracing calls for a longer look, Holter and event monitors and echocardiography are performed or arranged by our office. Learn more about cardiology care in Sugar Land.
Serving Greater Houston
Patients come to the Katy and Sugar Land offices from across Greater Houston, including Cypress, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fulshear, and West Houston, for EKG testing and cardiology consultation. Both offices perform and read EKGs on site; choose the one that is easier to reach, and the scheduling team can help if you are unsure.
Patient-Centered Cardiology
Every tracing is read by Adnan Khalid, MD, not left to the machine's automated interpretation.
Dr. Khalid typically reviews an in-office EKG and discusses it with you; some findings need further testing.
When the tracing raises a question, Holter or event monitoring and echocardiography can be performed or arranged by our office.
You see your own tracing and learn what it shows, what it does not, and what happens next.
Offices in Katy and Sugar Land serving surrounding Greater Houston communities.
New patients are welcome. Most major insurance plans are accepted, subject to eligibility and coverage verification.
Common Questions
Call our office and our staff will help with appointments, referrals and insurance.
Nothing. EKG and ECG are the same test; EKG comes from the German spelling of electrocardiogram and ECG from the English. Both refer to the standard 12-lead recording of the heart’s electrical activity.
About ten minutes in total. Placing the electrodes takes most of that time; the recording itself lasts around ten seconds. There is no recovery period, and you can return to normal activity immediately.
An EKG is not expected to hurt. The electrodes only record electrical signals from the skin; nothing is sent into the body. Most people feel only the adhesive patches, which can cause mild irritation when removed, and occasionally a small area of chest hair is shaved so they stick properly.
Sometimes, but not reliably. A resting EKG can show signs of a prior heart attack or of reduced blood flow during symptoms, but a normal EKG does not exclude coronary artery disease. Stress testing, calcium scoring, or CT angiography are the tests that evaluate the arteries themselves.
It means the rhythm, rate, and electrical pattern were within normal limits during the seconds recorded. It is reassuring, but it does not rule everything out: intermittent rhythm problems and coronary artery disease can both be present with a normal resting tracing. If symptoms continue, further evaluation is reasonable.
Not necessarily. Many abnormal readings are normal variants, technical artifacts, or minor findings that need no treatment. Others, such as atrial fibrillation or heart block, do matter. A cardiologist reading the tracing in context can tell you which applies. See our page on abnormal EKG results for more detail.
There is no routine schedule for adults who feel well. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against screening EKGs in adults without symptoms who are at low risk, and found insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening EKGs for those at intermediate or high risk. EKGs are most useful when there are symptoms, a known heart condition, medications that can affect heart rhythm, or a specific reason such as a preoperative evaluation. If you have a known heart condition, your cardiologist will tell you how often a repeat tracing makes sense.
Consumer devices record a single lead and can detect atrial fibrillation reasonably well, but they cannot replace a 12-lead EKG, which views the heart from twelve angles and detects conduction problems, prior damage, and blood flow changes. A smartwatch alert is a good reason to have a proper EKG, not a substitute for one.
Usually very little. Follow any instructions your care team gives you and take your medications as prescribed unless you have been told otherwise. Wear clothing that allows easy access to your chest, skip oily lotions on the chest that day, and tell the staff if you have a pacemaker or defibrillator. Bring any prior EKGs from other providers for comparison.
A standard EKG records about ten seconds while you lie still. A Holter monitor records continuously for one to fourteen days, and an event monitor for up to 30 days. They are used when symptoms are intermittent and the office EKG was normal, so the rhythm can be captured during an actual episode.
Keep Reading
Related services: Abnormal EKG Evaluation • Holter Monitor • Event Monitor • Echocardiography • Stress Testing • Chest Pain Evaluation • Preoperative Cardiac Clearance
Sources: MedlinePlus: Electrocardiogram · USPSTF: Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Screening With Electrocardiography · American Heart Association: Warning Signs of a Heart Attack · NHLBI: Heart Tests
Your cardiologist: Adnan Khalid, MD
Cardiology Appointments
If you have symptoms that could involve your heart, or your surgical team has requested a preoperative EKG, Advanced Cardiology performs EKGs in the office at the Katy and Sugar Land locations, and Adnan Khalid, MD reviews them. New patients are welcome; most major insurance plans are accepted, and coverage is verified individually.
Katy: 410 W Grand Pkwy S Ste 4D, Katy, TX 77494
Sugar Land: 7102 Tarrington Ave Suite 505, Sugar Land, TX 77479
Chest pain, fainting, or a racing heartbeat that will not stop is an emergency. Call 911.
Katy & Sugar Land Cardiologist
Advanced Cardiology welcomes new patients at its offices in Katy and Sugar Land. Call our office or send an appointment request, and our staff will follow up.
Most major insurance plans accepted; coverage is verified individually.
For possible heart attack or stroke symptoms, call 911.
