We offer "Female Only" appointments for all our tests, including echocardiograms.
Please ask for our "Female Only" option if you prefer an all female team (cardiac technician, sonographer and/or cardiologist) for your test.
A Transthoracic Echocardiogram is an ultrasound assessment of your heart.
This test provides a non-invasive assessment of your heart’s structure and function, including its valves and chambers.
No specific preparation is required for this test.
Ultrasound images are acquired by our highly-trained Cardiac Sonographer over 30-45 minutes.
You will be asked to change into a gown to allow access to your chest wall (including removal of your bra). Three small sticky electrodes are placed on your shoulders to record your electrical rhythm, which allows the images to be captured appropriately. Initially, you will be asked to lie on your left side to gain the first set of images and then flat on your back for the remainder of the images. Images are obtained via an ultrasound transducer that will be placed directly upon your chest and a water-based gel will be applied to your skin to optimise image quality.
Our sonographers are unable to provide you with any results at the time of your scan, however the images will be reviewed promptly by one of our expert Cardiologists and finalised results communicated to your referring doctor.