Echocardiography & Stress Testing

Echocardiography

Since its inception, the use of echocardiography has revolutionized the field of Cardiology. Using ultrasound waves, transthoracic echocardiography provides a quick and painless noninvasive method for visualizing the cardiac muscle, valves, and surrounding structures. This testing modality is fundamental in evaluating the overall health of the heart. The use of echocardiography can also be combined with stress testing to detect coronary artery disease. For a more detailed evaluation of the heart and its internal structures an invasive form of echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography or TEE, can be performed. This procedure utilizes a specialized probe with an ultrasound transducer which is passed into the patient’s esophagus under anesthesia.

Stress Testing

A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill stress test or exercise stress test, helps evaluate how well your heart handles physiologic stress. As your body works harder during the test, the body requires more oxygen, so the heart must pump more blood. The test can show if blood supply to the heart muscle is compromised due to blockages in the arteries supplying the heart. In patients who are unable to exercise, stress testing can also be performed using pharmacologic agents.

 

Dr. Diwadkar is board certified in Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography by the National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) and has a special certification to perform all forms of echocardiography and stress testing.