Cardiology Services - Echo Vascular Lab

Adult/Pediatric Echocardiogram - Back to the top

What is an echocardiogram?

Echocardiograms use high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create an image of the heart. Spectral and color Doppler are used to measure speed and direction of blood flow. This information is used by a cardiologist to evaluate the structure and function of the heart. This exam is usually performed on patients with heart problems such as: congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, etc.

How is it performed?
The exam is performed with the patient lying on their left side on a special bed or stretcher.
The test is performed by a cardiac Sonographer. The Sonographer will have you take your shirt off and put on a patient gown. The Sonographer will then put ultrasound gel on your chest followed by the transducer (A small probe used to take the images). It sends and receives the sound waves and is connected by a cable to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sound waves into images such as the one on the top of this page.
During the exam you may be able to see the images on a computer screen. You may see different colors on the screen, usually red and blue. These colors represent different directions of blood flow in relation to the transducer. You may also hear unusual noises during the exam, this will be the noise made by your blood moving through the heart. The Sonographer will be taking digital pictures of your exam for the physician to look at.

What kind of preparation is required?
There is no special preparation for this test. You may eat and drink normally.

Does it hurt?
This exam is usually not painful. If you have a large body habitus the Sonographer may have to push harder than normal with the transducer to obtain the images, this can be painful.

Is it harmful?
There are no known adverse effects of the sound waves used during a standard ultrasound examination.

Venous Duplex Exam - Back to the top

What is a venous duplex exam?
A venous duplex is a test that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create an image of the vessel. Spectral and color Doppler are used to measure speed and direction of blood flow. This information is used by a physician to evaluate the vessel. The physician looks for thrombus (blood clot) within the vessel that may be obstructing blood flow. This exam is usually performed on patients where deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is suspected. This exam is also performed to look for venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency is a condition wear the valves within the veins do not work correctly allowing blood to flow backwards within the vein.

How is it performed?
The exam is performed by a vascular Sonographer. with the patient lying on their back on a special bed or stretcher. The Sonographer will have you take your shirt or pants off depending on which exam he or she will be performing. The Sonographer will then put ultrasound gel on your upper or lower extremity followed by the transducer (A small probe used to take the images). It sends and receives the sound waves and is connected by a cable to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sound waves into images such as the one on the top of this page.
During the exam you may be able to see the images on a computer screen. You may see different colors on the screen, usually red and blue. These colors represent different directions of blood flow in relation to the transducer. You may also hear unusual noises during the exam, this will be the noise made by your blood moving through the vessel. The Sonographer will be taking digital pictures of your exam for the physician to look at.

What kind of preparation is required?
There is no special preparation for this test. You may eat and drink normally.

Does it hurt?
This exam can be painful especially if your leg or arm is tender. This exam requires the Sonographer to push on the vein to compress the vessel. For most patients this causes very little to mild discomfort.

Is it harmful?
There are no known adverse effects of the sound waves used during a standard ultrasound examination.

Carotid Duplex Exam - Back to the top

What is a carotid duplex exam?
A carotid duplex is a test that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create an image of the vessel. Spectral and color Doppler are used to measure speed and direction of blood flow. This information is used by a physician to evaluate the vessel. The physician looks for plaque build up within the vessel that may be impeding blood flow to the brain or for plaque formations that may break off and travel to the brain. This exam is usually performed on patients that have a bruit, had a stroke (CVA) or mini stroke (TIA). A bruit is an abnormal noise that a physician hears when listening to your neck.

How is it performed?
The exam is performed by a vascular Sonographer with the patient lying flat on their back on a special bed or stretcher.
The Sonographer will have you tilt your head back and tilt your head slightly to the left or right. The Sonographer will then put ultrasound gel on your neck followed by the transducer (A small probe used to take the images). It sends and receives the sound waves and is connected by a cable to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sound waves into images such as the one on the top of this page. During the exam you may be able to see the images on a computer screen. You may see different colors on the screen, usually red and blue. These colors represent different directions of blood flow in relation to the transducer. You may also hear unusual noises during the exam, this will be the noise made by your blood moving through the vessel. The Sonographer will be taking digital pictures of your exam for the physician to look at.

What kind of preparation is required?
There is no special preparation for this test. You may eat and drink normally. We do suggest that you wear a shirt that buttons up in the front and do not wear a turtle neck shirt of any kind.

Arterial Duplex Exams - Back to the top

What is an arterial duplex exam?

Arterial duplex exams use high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create an image of the vessel. Spectral and color Doppler are used to measure speed and direction of blood flow. This information is used by a physician to evaluate the vessel. The physician looks for plaque build up within the vessel that may be obstructing blood flow. This exam is usually performed on patients where peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is suspected. PAD is usually seen in long term smokers and diabetics.

How is it performed?
The exam is performed by a vascular Sonographer. with the patient lying on their back on a special bed or stretcher. The Sonographer will have you take your shirt or pants off depending on which extremity he or she will be examining.. The Sonographer will then put ultrasound gel on your upper or lower extremity followed by the transducer (A small probe used to take the images). It sends and receives the sound waves and is connected by a cable to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sound waves into images such as the one on the top of this page. During the exam you may be able to see the images on a computer screen. You may see different colors on the screen, usually red and blue. These colors represent different directions of blood flow in relation to the transducer. You may also hear unusual noises during the exam, this will be the noise made by your blood moving through the vessel. The Sonographer will be taking digital pictures of your exam for the physician to look at.

What kind of preparation is required?
There is no special preparation for this test. You may eat and drink normally.

Does it hurt?
This exam is usually painless.

Arterial Doppler Exams - Back to the top

What is an arterial doppler exam?

Arterial doppler exams use high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create an image of the vessel. Spectral and color Doppler are used to measure speed and direction of blood flow. This information is used by a physician to evaluate the vessel. The physician looks for plaque build up within the vessel that may be obstructing blood flow. This exam is usually performed on patients where peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is suspected. PAD is usually seen in long term smokers and diabetics.

How is it performed?
The exam is performed by a vascular Sonographer with the patient lying on their back on a special bed or stretcher. The Sonographer will have you take your shirt or pants off depending on which extremity he or she will be examining. The Sonographer will then put ultrasound gel on your upper or lower extremity followed by the transducer (A small probe used to take the images). It sends and receives the sound waves and is connected by a cable to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sound waves into images such as the one on the top of this page.
During the exam you may be able to see the images on a computer screen. You may see different colors on the screen, usually red and blue. These colors represent different directions of blood flow in relation to the transducer. You may also hear unusual noises during the exam, this will be the noise made by your blood moving through the vessel. The Sonographer will be taking digital pictures of your exam for the physician to look at.

What kind of preparation is required?
There is no special preparation for this test. You may eat and drink normally.

Does it hurt?
This exam is usually painless.

Is it harmful?
There are no known adverse effects of the sound waves used during a standard ultrasound examination.