Echocardiography
| Senior Consultants : |
A/Prof Ling Lieng His |
| |
Dr Yeo Tiong Cheng |
| Consultant : |
Dr Poh Kian Keong |
| Associate Consultants : |
Dr Lam Su Ping, Carolyn |
| |
Dr Wong Chin Chiew, Raymond |
There are many different types of echocardiographic services, namely, Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE), Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography (DSE) and Vascular Ultrasonography. All these use ultrasound waves to visualise the heart and its blood vessels to determine if there are any abnormalities.
Stress Echocardiography
People with heart disease may show normal results for heart tests performed during rest or under relaxed conditions. However, abnormal test results may surface when the heart is made to work harder, and since exercise is the most common way to stress a person's heart, this becomes the basis for exercise stress tests.
A Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram (DSE) is a test that combines a transthoracic echo with a drug-stimulated stress test. Some patients cannot walk on a treadmill for various reasons (broken leg, arthritis, etc). The drug Dobutamine has an effect on the heart similar to exercise and permits testing of patients who are unable to exercise. This procedure is employed for the assessment of coronary artery disease and myocardial viability in patients with known coronary disease or cardiomyopathy. Twelve-lead electrocardiogram, blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography are performed at baseline and continuously during infusion. Patients undergoing DSE are closely supervised by a physician, registered nurse and a cardiac sonographer. The procedure usually lasts for one hour.
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
Certain conditions of the heart, such as valve disease, blood clots or masses inside the heart, dissection (tear) of the lining of the aorta, and implanted prosthetic heart valves are better visualised and assessed with transesophageal echocardiography.
It is done by inserting a flexible tube about the size of the index finger through the mouth and down into the esophagus (food pipe) to the level of the heart. A clear image can be obtained because the esophagus lies just behind the heart and sound waves do not have to pass through skin, muscle, or bone tissue. Vital signs are continuously monitored, and medication is given intravenously to help the patient relax. The throat is numbed with topical anaesthesia to keep the patient comfortable during the test. A TEE usually takes about one hour to perform.
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