Information for patients

Links

Wellington Hospital
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Clementine Churchill BMI (Harrow)
Lindo Wing, St Mary's Hospital

Patient testimonials

First, I can’t thank you enough for all your time, interest and care on Thursday.

Secondly, the one stop ‘plumb and sparks’ shop is seriously impressive, staffed by great, caring and efficient people who are fun. In about an hour to do an echo, treadmill test and take 49 blood samples etc. must be close to a W.R....

Seriously, from the patients point of view you are offering full diagnostics almost in the ‘golden hour’ whereas with most other approaches it takes more like a month! The expeditious approach apart from removing patients uncertainty which often weighs heavily means if necessary you are in to treatment almost immediately....

Patients will definitely feel that they and their quality of lfe is being put first.

Mr Y. (2010) Suffolk.

Echocardiography

Standard Trans-Thoracic Echocardiography (Echocardiogram)

This is an ultrasound test which allows the Cardiologist to take accurate pictures of the heart muscle, the pumping chambers and the heart valves. A probe is placed on the chest wall and an inaudible ultrasound beam passes out from the probe, reflects back from the structures within the heart and allows the cardiologist to build up an accurate image of the heart. A variety of views are taken to look at the heart structures. When these views are completed, a Doppler analysis is performed to analyse blood flow from chamber to chamber and across valves. More specialised analyses can be done looking at particular areas of the heart muscle, it’s movement and its relaxation. The whole procedure takes about 30 minutes and is non invasive.

An echocardiogram is normally used to look at the heart pumping function, look for narrowing or leakiness of the valves and is used to check for fluid around the heart. It can look for signs of infection within the heart and on the heart valves (Endocarditis). It can also be used to see if there are any perforations or holes in the membranes dividing the sides of the four heart chambers, for example a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) or Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). These more complicated tests may need a small drip placed in the arm to allow injection of tiny bubbles. These help the ultrasound to see small holes in the heart.

Echocardiography

Standard Trans-Thoracic Echocardiography (Echocardiogram)

View of the heart on echocardiogram from the edge of the breast bone