As a member of the American Society of Echocardiography since 2007, Dr. Rajan Bhatt possesses a deep understanding of the techniques used in echocardiography. In 2010, Dr. Bhatt and three co-writers published an article titled “Are All Ventricular Septal Defects Created Equal?” in the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. The article examined the case of a man who developed endocarditis. An echocardiogram revealed a ventricular defect, which led Dr. Bhatt and his co-authors to suggest that certain defects created a greater risk for endocarditis. Echocardiography, which is also known as a cardiac ultrasound, is a sonogram of the heart that is used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. It is one of the most common diagnostic methods used today.
Echocardiography utilizes ultrasound technology to develop a two- or three-dimensional image of a patient’s heart. In some cases, doctors use the Doppler ultrasound to increase the effectiveness of flow-related measurements in the heart. A sonogram of the heart reveals a picture of the velocity of blood flow and state of cardiac tissue. When a doctor obtains an accurate echocardiogram, he or she can assess the patient’s heart health and observe any defects in the heart. The most common form of echocardiography is known as a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). In a TTE, a probe is placed on the chest of the patient and a non-invasive sonogram is taken through the chest wall. Alternative echocardiography options include transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE), in which a probe is inserted into a person’s esophagus.
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