ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY | CARDIAC ULTRASOUND

Echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound) is a key element in the diagnosis of heart diseases. By using various modalities, it can provide valuable information on structural changes and functional disorders in the heart. Our unit performs echocardiograms for all clinics at Hannover Medical School and also for referring practitioners. The echocardiography laboratory has been fully restructured to offer the best conditions for both patients and clinical staff. In addition to elective examinations in the echocardiography laboratory, emergency examinations can be conducted at the patient’s bedside in the ICU or, in the catheter laboratory. This is facilitated by mobile echocardiogram units available in our intensive care unit and in the cardiac catheter laboratory.

Our clinic avails of the latest echocardiography equipment and ultrasound probe technology, including the requisite software for documentation and analysis. This allows us to offer the full spectrum of innovative ultrasound tests, including high-resolution 3D echocardiography. Echocardiograms are of increasing importance for cardiothoracic surgeons in planning reconstructive heart valve surgery. High-resolution transoesophageal echocardiography is a central component in the planning and implementation of interventional catheter procedures in the cardiac catheter laboratory. These include transfemoral aortic valve replacement, the implantation of occlusive systems for patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defects (ASD), the implantation of atrial occlusion systems, and catheter-based interventional reconstruction of the mitral valve. In particular, the latter two interventions rely strongly on the use of echocardiographic imaging.