To ask about nail varnish during a Transesophageal Echocardiogram

[FinnBalorsAbs]

Posting for traffic, I'm so sorry.

Booked in for a Transesophageal Echocardiogram tomorrow (bricking it, although this is beside the point). Was finally reading the documentation tonight and it is more serious than I first realised - lots of stuff about overnight bags, sedation, taking off rings etc. They also say to remove nail varnish. I don't have nail varnish on my fingernails but do on my toes.

Does anyone know if toe nail varnish is likely to be an issue? I have loads of stuff to prep for the DC tomorrow before I bugger off for the day and, frankly, my toenails are utterly scratty under the varnish - they'll need filing and trying to make less manky and it will eat into my evening massively.

[I know IABU having scratty toes, I keep meaning to go to a chiropodist but it's not happening tonight].

Help please! Am I safe going in with it on?

I'd leave it and they'll remove it if they need to. Don't worry about the state of your toe nails, they'll have seen worse!

You should be an ok to leave varnish on your toes as long as they can see your finger nails as the colour of your nail beds during the procedure is an indication of blood oxygen levels, if they go pale/blue they will need to give you more oxygen.

No one will care about your toe nail varnish.
Nail varnish on fingers can interfere with oxygen probes, thus you are warned about it. Oxygen probes work by sending light through the nail, and detecting how much goes through. Nail varnish blocks the light and affects the reading.
Toes won't matter.

@negomi90

I’ve had one of those oxygen things on my toe before...

I’ve had several heart tests involving finger clips (sorry I don’t know their name) and have always had gel polish on. No one said anything, not did it affect readings.

I think you'll be ok:)

Good luck x

Toe nail varnish will be fine. Finger nail varnish is also not really a big problem...you just put the sats probe on sideways if there’s nail varnish. (DOI: anaesthetist)

Ok, this all makes me feel a lot better. Thanks for taking the time to post everyone. You know that thing where you are panicking so fixate on something utterly unimportant? Yeah that!

I had a heart procedure under sedation last week and was told to remove polish. I forgot I had some left over nail polish in my toes. It wasn't an issue. They did check I had nine in my fingers though.