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Our cardiologists at �ٺ���Ƶ Heart specialize in using two- and three-dimensional echocardiography to diagnose and manage conditions that affect the way blood moves through your heart. We provide care to patients hospitalized for treatment as well as to those being cared for as outpatients.

Using these advanced imaging techniques, our cardiologists perform noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures, such as cardiac catheterization and open heart surgery, to diagnose and help manage heart conditions that previously would have required invasive techniques. These conditions include aortic valve disease, mitral valve disease, atrial fibrillation, and congenital heart defects in adults.

We also provide noninvasive diagnostic testing when you experience symptoms related to coronary heart disease, such as cardiomyopathy, atherosclerosis, and blood clots.

Types of Echocardiography

Our cardiologists use three forms of echocardiography:

• Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), the most common form, is performed by moving a transducer across your chest to create a two- or three-dimensional picture of the beating heart.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is an internal exam performed with mild sedation, in which a scope with a tiny camera at the end is moved down the throat. This provides our doctors with clearer pictures of the aorta and structures at the back of the heart than can be obtained with transthoracic echocardiogram.
• Stress echocardiography compares pictures of your heart at rest with pictures of your heart after moderate exercise.

Echocardiograms are available to both inpatients and outpatients.

Additional Noninvasive Cardiac Tests

We also provide the following noninvasive cardiac tests:

• Vascular ultrasound allows doctors to detect blood clots and blockages in the arteries and veins throughout the body, including in the aorta, carotid, and renal arteries, and in vessels in the legs and arms.
• Holter monitoring is performed by placing on your chest painless electronic leads, which are connected to a monitor you carry for 24 to 48 hours. The monitor collects information about your heart’s electrical activity and can detect conditions affecting the speed and rhythm of your heartbeat.
• Echocardiogram strain imaging allows doctors to evaluate how well the heart muscle is functioning. It is most commonly performed to monitor heart health in people receiving chemotherapy, as well as in those with cardiomyopathy or heart failure.

When performed on an outpatient basis, most echocardiography procedures take about one hour. Because mild sedation is necessary with a transesophageal echocardiogram, this procedure requires an additional two hour recovery time.

Our testing facilities have received echocardiography accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission and are accredited by the American College of Radiology.