Color Doppler Echocardiography
Problems with circulation can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke and other dangerous cardiac conditions. There are several diagnostic tests that are helpful in determining blood flow through the coronary arteries, but Dr. Arash Bereliani, a respected cardiologist in Beverly Hills, often uses color Doppler echocardiography as a first-line diagnostic imaging technique because of its versatility and accuracy.
How does a color Doppler echo work?
In a regular echocardiogram, one of our technicians applies an ultrasound transducer – a device that resembles a microphone – coated with a clear gel to the skin of the chest overlying your heart. Standard EKG electrodes are also placed on the chest so an EKG can be performed simultaneously. Ultrasound waves are emitted by the transducer, which then bounce back from the heart, creating a two-dimensional image of your heart in motion. Your technician will move the transducer carefully to several parts of your chest in order for her to view different areas of the heart. Dr. Bereliani can get a good idea if your heart is enlarged. If it is enlarged, this suggests heart muscle problems (also known as cardiomyopathies).
Color Doppler echo takes the standard echo one step further, measuring both the velocity and direction of blood flow; the sound of blood flowing through the different parts of the heart (which you can hear during the test) is then translated into brightly-colored pictures, where different colors represent direction and intensity of the flow. You might think of a color Doppler echo as a movie – starring your heart and filmed in living Technicolor – that has a pulse-pounding soundtrack. Color Doppler echocardiography allows doctors to diagnose heart valve problems, such as leakage through a valve (regurgitation), or sharply-reduced blood flow in a valve (known as stenosis).
The color Doppler echocardiogram lets Dr. Bereliani accurately evaluate both the structure and function of the heart, and is one of the most widely-employed diagnostic tests.
Advanced diagnostics and preventive cardiology
Early diagnosis of even small abnormalities is key to identifying cardiac risk and intervening to lower that risk in order to prevent serious problems like coronary artery disease in the future. Advanced diagnostic tests, such as color Doppler echo, make early diagnosis much easier and more accurate. Therefore, they are crucial to Dr. Bereliani‘s preventive cardiology approach.
How do I find out if a color Doppler echo might be appropriate for me?
Call the Beverly Hills Institute for Preventive Medicine and Cardiology at 310-550-8000 or click here to make an appointment. Our friendly, helpful staff will be glad to schedule a consultation for you with Dr. Bereliani, and to answer any questions you might have. We are conveniently located in the heart of Beverly Hills, within easy driving distance for most residents of greater Los Angeles.