Echocardiography is a technique that takes advantage of the use of ultrasound imaging to visualize the anatomy of the heart and its function. Above all, it is able to provide information on the heart’s contractility, morphology of the heart valves and the flow of the blood inside the cavities.

Echocardiography is a noninvasive and painless procedure, free of any biological damage and easily repeatable, so much so that it has become an indispensable aid for clinical evaluation of diagnostic tests on cardiac patients over time (follow-up).

The first diagnostic approach of a patient with suspected heart disease is performed by the echocardiographic technique "Transthoracic" which involves the use of a particular probe that, once leaned against the chest surface, emits a series of sound waves, through ultrasound imaging. Once the impulses are highlighted, they are reworked from the apparatus and are used to display real time imaging of the cardiac structures. The examination can be performed both in basal conditions at rest and after physical or pharmacological stress with the use of non-ionizing contrast agents harmless to health, if necessary. So in just a few minutes, all the necessary information needed to formulate a correct diagnostic evaluation can be easily acquired.

Transesophageal echocardiography, through endoscopy, can reveal some pathological forms which are otherwise difficult to diagnose, such as certain types of complex valvular defects, the presence of rare congenital malformations, thoracic aorta diseases, and emboli of cardiac origin.

Recently, Echocardiography 3D (three-dimensional) has been introduced, allowing better assessment of the “ensemble” of the heart. The method is proving particularly useful in the study of valvular disease, especially in the mitral valve and in that of septal defects.

The Operating Unit of Echocardiography uses ultrasound machines of the latest generation, updated with the latest technologies, offering patients a high standard of quality and diagnostic accuracy.