Echocardiography, or echo, is a cardiac imaging test that creates live-action pictures of your heart, allowing Dr. Farah to look at its structure and functioning. This test uses ultrasound technology to create these images.
During echocardiography, the technician uses an ultrasound transducer that delivers sound waves into your body. The sound waves bounce off your heart and back to the transducer, sending the sound waves to a computer, translating the sound into moving images displayed on a computer monitor.
Dr. Farah is an experienced cardiologist who takes a proactive and preventive approach to heart health. At Bentley Heart, she uses diagnostic tests like echocardiography to screen and diagnose heart disease.
Dr. Farah offers many kinds of echocardiography tests. These tests include:
Transthoracic echocardiography is the most common type of echo. The technician places the ultrasound transducer on your chest during this test, gliding it over your skin to get the necessary images.
If Dr. Farah needs a more detailed image of your heart, she may recommend a TEE. During this type of echo, your provider attaches the ultrasound transducer to a flexible tube that goes into your esophagus.
Dr. Farah gives you intravenous (IV) medication to help you relax during the TEE.
Stress echocardiography combines a stress test with an imaging test. During a stress test, Dr. Farah measures your heart’s electrical activity when at rest and when it’s pumping hard using an electrocardiogram (EKG).
For the stress echocardiography, she also checks the structure and functioning of your heart while at rest and after making your heart work harder.
Doppler ultrasound allows Dr. Farah to see how blood moves through your heart. Dr. Farah may perform the Doppler ultrasound during one of the other echo tests.
Echocardiography allows Dr. Farah to see the structure and functioning of your heart. It shows the size, shape, and movement of your heart. She uses this test to look for heart conditions such as:
Dr. Farah may also request echocardiography if you have a heart condition, and she wants to evaluate how well your treatment plan is working.
To schedule an echocardiography at Bentley Heart, call the office in Fort Worth, Texas, or book an appointment online today.