Echocardiogram services offered in Fayetteville, Lumberton, Erwin and Saint Pauls, NC
An echocardiogram is a diagnostic test that shows the structure and function of your heart, helping diagnose heart disease. Hari Saini, MD, and the team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center perform many diagnostic tests to assess heart health, including echocardiograms. The team performs different echocardiograms to get the most accurate diagnosis. To find out more about echocardiogram testing with a structural heart specialist, call the office in Fayetteville, Lumberton, Erwin, or Saint Pauls, North Carolina, or schedule a consultation online today.
What is an echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram, also called an echo, is an ultrasound imaging test that provides video of your heart, allowing the team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center to evaluate structure and function.
During an echocardiogram, your structural heart specialist sees how blood flows through each chamber of your heart and looks for problems that might affect that function.
Why would I need an echocardiogram?
Your primary care provider or structural heart specialist at Carolina Heart and Leg Center explains why you need an echocardiogram. You may need the ultrasound test to confirm or rule out heart disease, such as:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Valvular heart disease
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Aortic aneurysm – a weakened area of the aortic artery
- Blood clots
- Cardiac tumor
- Cardiac abnormalities
The team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center also performs echocardiograms to check the size of your heart and assess the function of the heart valves.
What are the types of echocardiograms?
Carolina Heart and Leg Center is a state-of-the-art cardiovascular practice that performs different echocardiograms to get the most accurate diagnosis. The types of echos include:
Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE)
TTE is the standard echo test. During this procedure, your provider at Carolina Heart and Leg Center places the ultrasound wand on the skin over your heart to evaluate the structure and function.
The test is quick and painless.
Doppler echocardiogram
The Doppler echocardiogram uses sound waves and pitches to evaluate the flow of blood through your heart. The team may perform the Doppler echocardiogram during your TTE.
Stress echocardiogram
A stress echocardiogram combines a stress test with an echocardiogram. A stress test evaluates how well your heart works when it’s pumping harder, helping to find heart conditions not present when your heart is beating normally.
For this test, the team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center conducts an echo before and after the stress test, looking for blocked arteries to diagnose CAD.
How do I prepare for an echocardiogram?
The team provides specific instructions on how to prepare for your echocardiogram based on the type of test you need. For the TTE, there’s no special preparation. However, the team may request you stop eating a few hours before a stress echocardiogram.
After your test, the team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center reviews the results and schedules a follow-up appointment to discuss the findings and treatment options.
To learn more about an echocardiogram at Carolina Heart and Leg Center, call the office nearest you or schedule an appointment online today.
