ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

(Dr. Joaquin Navarro / Dr. Luis Mercado / Dra. Silvia Ureña)

In 1984 we began to do cardiac ultrasound studies in M mode.
Due to the great applications of cardiac ultrasound and because of the limitations of our equipment, we got a more sophisticated equipment which let us done 2 D and Doppler studies.

In 1993, we got an even more modern equipment, able to perform color doppler studies and 2 D imaging, with different electronic transducers with great capacity and the posibility to perform trans esophageal studies for a more accurate diagnosis of complex congenital heart malformations, a correct evaluation of valve prosthesis and assessment of thoracic aortic dissection.

Since July 2003, we have a last generation Accuson Sequoya, fully digitalizaded which permits to perform Stress Ecocardiogram with dobutamine and has a high technology such as armonics, tissue doppler and the posibility to perform studies of myocardial perfusion with iodinated contrast media. In this equipment we also perform all vascular duplex studies, venous and arterial. This latest model of ultrasonic equipment, with biplane and multiplane esophageal transducers acquired for cardiovascular application, is the best in Bolivia. Thanks to this unit and the credibility of the information obtained, 80% of our patients operated on for valve disease are treated with no need to recur to cardiac catheterization, which is indicated almost exclusively for cases where the presence of an associated coronary disease is suspected.