Echocardiography

Echocardiography is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology, using sound waves and Doppler ultrasound to create images of the heart. Often referred to as a cardiac echo or simply an echo, it provide a wealth of helpful information including the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, as well as the location and extent of any tissue damage. It has become routinely used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with any suspected or known heart diseases.

Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography aids in the diagnosis of all adult cardiac conditions including ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and congenital heart disease. It is completely non-invasive and painless. Stress Echocardiography aids in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and helps manage various cardiac conditions where the hearts response to stress is key to decision making. Examples include management of valvular heart disease and diagnosis of unexplained shortness of breath. We perform Transesophageal Echocardiography to exclude the presence of clots in those who have experienced a stroke or who are at risk of a stroke. We also use this tool to assist in the quantification of valvular heart disease as well as 3-D imaging to generate precise anatomic pictures of the heart. Our echocardiography laboratory performs comprehensive and detailed studies on state of the art equipment.

All of our echocardiography services are performed in our laboratories which are certified by Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for Echocardiography

*Drs. Casale, Fisher, Gordon, Kunkes, Moskowitz, A.Pollack, B.Pollack, Dr.Raymond, Schussheim, Taikowski, and Tuohy have special certification in the interpretation of these tests from the National Board of Echocardiography.

Useful Links for Echocardiography:

• American Association Page on Echocardiography
• National Institutes of Health on Echocardiography
• Cardiosmart Video tells you everything you need to know about having an Echocardiography
• American Society of Echocardiography