Echocardiography Department

The Echocardiography Department at St George’s was founded in 1971 and has developed a national and international reputation. The Echocardiography Department is one of the largest in the United Kingdom and performs annually at least 20,000 transthoracic echocardiograms, 1700 stress echocardiograms and more then 600 transoesophageal studies.

We aim to provide a comprehensive and efficient service, committed to the excellence for our patients. We specialize in the diagnosis of complex, adult cardiac problems including heart valve diseases, the assessment of heart function in patients with angina, after heart attacks, heart failure, in inherited cardiac conditions and sports cardiology. Patients who undergo the echo scans may report prior symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or blackouts.

We perform a wide range of Echo diagnostic procedures including:

• Open Access Transthoracic Echo
• Complex Transthoracic Echo Examinations including 3D and deformation imaging
• 2D and 3D Transoesophageal  studies
• Exercise Stress Echo (treadmill and reclining bicycle)
• Dobutamine Stress Echo
• Contrast studies including bubble contrast and opacification studies
• Dyssynchrony studies and optimisation of complex pacemaker devices

For more information please find the British Heart Foundation links to echocardiography

 https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/tests/echocardiogram

The open access echocardiography service where General Practitioners can directly  request an echo examination, are performed on a daily basis. All images are reviewed by the echo consultant with an immediate clinical recommendation. We also provide cardiac physiologist led valve clinic where patients with stable valvular heart problems are followed up.

We aim to bring innovation and improvement into clinical service using a wide range of  ultrasound machines including Siemens, Philips and GE. All the ultrasound machines are fully digital and integrated into a local Echo Pac network which provides for digital review, analysis, storage and transmission of patient data.

The Department has been very active in research publications and produced publications in various fields including: Stress Echocardiography, Strain Rate Imaging, Cardiomyopathy, Ventricular Function, Valve Disease and Ultrasound Criteria for complex device selection. The department works closely with inherited heart disease, structural heart disease and heart failure groups both clinically and academically.

Consultants

Dr Rajan Sharma – Consultant Cardiologist

Dr Anna Marciniak – Consultant Cardiologist

Dr Nicholas Bunce – Consultant Cardiologist

Dr Nesan Shanmugam – Consultant Cardiologist

Dr Robin Ray – Consultant Cardiologist

Mrs Eliane Cunliffe – Principal Cardiac Physiologist (Echocardiography & Community Services)

Mr Elliot Smith – Lead Cardiac Physiologist