2-D Echocardiography
State of art 2-D Echo installed at Diagnostic Centresis a sonogram of the heart. Echocardiography uses standard two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and Doppler ultrasound to create images of the heart.
It provides the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, and the location and extent of any tissue damage. An echocardiogram also gives other estimates of heart function, such as a calculation of the cardiac output, ejection fraction, and diastolic function. Echocardiography can help detect cardiomyopathies, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and many others. The use of stress echocardiography may also help determine whether any chest pain or associated symptoms are related to heart disease.
It also gives accurate assessment of the blood flowing through the heart by Doppler echocardiography, using pulsed- or continuous-wave Doppler ultrasound. This allows assessment of both normal and abnormal blood flow through the heart. Color Doppler, as well as spectral Doppler, is used to visualize any abnormal communications between the left and right sides of the heart, any leaking of blood through the valves (valvular regurgitation), and estimate how well the valves open (or do not open in the case of valvular stenosis). The Doppler technique can also be used for tissue motion and velocity measurement, by tissue Doppler echocardiography.
How Safe Is Echocardiography?
It is absolutely safe. There are no known risks of the ultrasound in this type of testing.Medical uses:
- Size of the chambers, volume and the thickness of the walls of heart.
- Pumping function, if it is normal or reduced to a mild/severe degree of heart.
- Valve function – structure, thickness and movement of heart’s valves.
- Volume status as low blood pressure may occur as a result of poor heart function.
- Pericardial effusion (fluid in the pericardium and the sac that surrounds the heart), congenital heart disease, blood clots or tumours, abnormal elevation of pressure within the lungs etc.
4-D Echocardiography
4-D echocardiography enables detailed anatomical assessment of cardiac pathology, particularly valvular defects, and cardiomyopathies.
Contrast Echocardiography
Contrast echocardiography is used in the enhancement of LV endocardial borders for assessment of global and regional systolic function. Contrast may also be used to enhance visualization of wall thickening during stress echocardiography, for the assessment of LV thrombus, or for the assessment of other masses in the heart. Contrast echocardiography has also been used to assess blood perfusion throughout myocardium in the case of coronary artery disease.