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Echocardiogram
Length of Procedure
Location \ contact information
15-20 mins

Reception : 0161 276 4132

What is Ultrasound: Very high freqency sound waves inaudible to the human ear. By measuring the time it takes for the sound wave to travel from the transmitter to the receiver it is possible to determine the structure and density of material that the sound waves travel through. Using specialist equipment the information received can be used to generate an image. This is a routine painless test which has no side effects.


Why is is done?

  • The Echo obtains pictures of the heart as it is beating to give the doctor information about the structure, function and the blood flow.
  • To verify that the patient has a normal heart
  • To help identify the cause of the murmurs
  • To help follow the progress of some heart diseases
  • To help check the effectiveness of medication
  • To check on the progress of patients after surgery.

Echocardiogram procedures are normally done by the Technicians in the ECG Department. However, because the machines are portable they can be performed in treatment rooms in clinics or at the bedside.

The actual procedure is quite simple. The Echo is performed by a technician or a doctor and takes approximately 15 minutes.

The patient is asked to strip to the waist and lie on a couch on their left side (making it easier to demonstrate the heart). A small transducer is covered with cold jelly and used to obtain images from different positions on the chest. When looking at the blood flow in the heart the machine makes noises which help with the interpretation of the scan. These noises are not indications of any abnormality. The patient can usually see the pictures as they appear on the screen. The technician or doctor records the pictures on a video tape and takes a series of measurements.

Using the information from the pictures and the measurements a report of the Echo is sent back to the doctor who requested it so that he decides the best way to treat the patient.

 

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