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Echocardiogram Specialist

Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein Satish Sivasankaran, MD., MRCP(UK)., FACC., MBA. Our Services Echocardiogram

Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein

Satish Sivasankaran, MD., MRCP(UK)., FACC., MBA.

Cardiologist, Peripheral Vascular, and Vein Specialist located in New Port Richey, FL

When you have symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations, one of the first diagnostic tests you receive is an echocardiogram. At Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein in New Port Richey, Florida, Satish Sivasankaran, MD, MRCP(UK), FACC, MBA, or as his patients call him, Dr. Siva, has years of experience producing high-quality echocardiograms that reveal the source of your symptoms and guide your treatment. To schedule an appointment, call the office or use the online booking feature.

Echocardiogram Q & A

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram is a noninvasive procedure that uses ultrasound to produce images of your heart. During your echocardiogram at Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein, Dr. Siva uses a device called a transducer to send safe sound waves into your body.

The sound waves bounce off the structures they encounter, sending an echo back to the transducer. The information then goes to a computer that translates the sound waves into detailed images of the heart’s valves, chambers, and muscles.

Dr. Siva often combines an echocardiogram with Doppler ultrasound, which shows blood flowing through the heart.

When do I need an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram shows your heart function and allows doctors to detect the presence of heart diseases such as myocardial disease, pericardial disease, infective endocarditis, and cardiac tumors.

Echocardiograms also reveal the size and shape of your heart, the thickness of cardiac muscles, blood clots, and the health of your coronary arteries.

However, Dr. Siva most often uses an echocardiogram to evaluate the health of the valves inside your heart. With the images from an echocardiogram, he can diagnose:

  • Leaky heart valves, called valve regurgitation
  • Tight heart valves, called valve stenosis
  • Abnormal hole between the two upper chambers, called patent foramen ovale


Patent foramen ovale occurs in 25% of all people when the heart doesn’t develop normally after birth. Many people never develop symptoms. However, a patent foramen ovale is associated with strokes, transient ischemic attacks, and migraines.

What type of echocardiogram could I receive? You may undergo one of several types of echocardiograms: Transthoracic echocardiogram

During this procedure, Dr. Siva places the transducer against your chest. This is the type of echocardiogram he most often performs. It’s also the most common type and the first diagnostic test for heart diseases.

Transesophageal echocardiogram

This type of echocardiogram uses a narrow transducer that Dr. Siva guides down your esophagus, positioning the transducer next to your heart. Though it’s more invasive, it often produces a better image because the sound waves don’t need to go through your skin.

Stress echocardiogram

A stress echocardiogram takes place while you exercise, providing images of how your heart works when forced to pump more blood.

Three-dimensional echocardiogram

After Dr. Siva takes images from different angles, the computer uses them to create a 3D image of your heart.

If you need an echocardiogram or any other diagnostic testing for your heart, call Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein, or book an appointment online.

We are located in 5340 Gulf Drive, Suite 101, New Port Richey, FL 34652. Call us to book your appointment today.

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