Echocardiography

 
Echocardiography (Echo)

This method is based on the ability of the ultrasound to be reflected from tissues with different density (myocardium, valve apparatus, scar tissues, fluid) and consists in the capturing and transferring of the ultrasound signal sent and reflected from various heart structures into a picture.

The main aim of this procedure is to evaluate not only the structural but also the functional state of the heart muscle. To get the required information medical specialists use special ultrasound device - the obtained data is displayed on the monitor, so that even patient could see and hear how his or hers heart works.

During echocardiography cardiac physiologist measures heart cavities and the thickness of myocardium, detects (if there are such) intracavitary clots and aneurisms of the heart walls, damage of the valve apparatus, and any pathological blood flows. The procedure helps assess the systolic and diastolic functions of heart, intracardiac pressure, as well as find any congenital deformities of the heart and determine their intensity. Echo is one of the most common diagnostic methods used in cardiology; it is indispensable in making and clarifying such diagnoses as acute and old myocardial infarction, congenital and acquired valvular diseases, cardiomyopathies, pericardium disorders, myocardial tumors, heart failure etc. 

Doppler echocardiography

Sometimes it’s also called simply Doppler, it is a modern method of ultrasound diagnostics that helps detect pathological changes in blood vessels. This method is based on the change in frequency of ultrasound waves reflected from blood cells (the Doppler Effect). This procedure makes it possible to measure and register different blood flow parameters, evaluate the condition of the vessel wall and heart valves, vascular permeability, blood flow state and velocity, detect various conditions of blood vessels (roughnesses, constrictions etc.). Doppler method is completely harmless and does not involve any invasive procedures.

Normal blood flow in the vessels may be broken due to various reasons, but by means of Doppler method a whole set of parameters can be analyzed, and that helps diagnosticate cardiovascular diseases with maximum accuracy (ischemic heart disease, aortic aneurism, portal hypertension, atherosclerotic vascular disease etc.) in their early stages.