Cardiac and Vascular Ultrasounds

Cardiac and vascular ultrasounds are one of the first tests you’ll have to screen for heart and blood vessel problems to identify the cause of your symptoms. At Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins in Miami, Florida, Enrique Hernandez, MD, performs ultrasounds in the office, providing fast results that allow for quick treatment. If you need to schedule an ultrasound or have any questions, call the office or request an appointment online today.

What are cardiac and vascular ultrasounds?

Cardiac and vascular ultrasounds diagnose heart and blood vessel conditions using images created with high-frequency sound waves.

In most ultrasound procedures, your provider places a handheld device (transducer) against your skin. In some cases, they may guide a tiny transducer through your blood vessels to get internal images or send one through your mouth and into your esophagus so they can get closer to the heart. 

The transducer sends out safe, painless sound waves, which bounce off the tissues they encounter, return to the transducer, and then go to a computer. The computer translates sound waves into images.

What information is obtained during cardiac and vascular ultrasounds?

Conventional ultrasound shows structures, while a Doppler ultrasound picks up movement like blood flow. Duplex ultrasounds combine both techniques.

Cardiac and vascular ultrasounds reveal information such as:

• Size and shape of your heart and blood vessels
• Blood flowing through your heart, arteries, and veins
• Blocked blood vessels
• Muscle contraction in the heart
• Thickened or damaged heart walls
• Blood clots
• Weak valves
• Fluid buildup
• Inflammation

These details give your provider the information needed to diagnose many cardiovascular conditions.

What conditions appear in cardiac and vascular ultrasounds?

Cardiac ultrasounds, called echocardiograms, can help diagnose many problems, including:

• Heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Pericarditis (inflammation around the heart)
• Pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart)
• Leaky heart valves (regurgitation)
• Heart valve narrowing (stenosis)
• Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
• Heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
• Muscle damage due to a heart attack

Vascular ultrasounds reveal blood vessel problems, including:

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Peripheral venous disease (PVD)
• Carotid artery disease
• Renal artery stenosis
• Venous blood clots
• Venous insufficiency
• Aortic aneurysms

Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins also uses vascular ultrasounds to monitor changes in aneurysms and blood vessel blockages.

How are cardiac and vascular ultrasounds used for procedures?

Ultrasounds are used to guide minimally invasive endovascular procedures. During endovascular treatments, your provider guides a long, narrow tube (catheter) through the veins and arteries. 

The catheter is equipped with a device that treats the underlying condition. For example, it may contain a device that sends out radiofrequency energy to treat varicose veins or a balloon and stent to eliminate plaque inside an artery.

Real-time ultrasound images allow your provider to see the blood vessels, guide the catheter, and perform your treatment. 

If you have questions about cardiac and vascular ultrasounds, call Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins or request an appointment online today.