The Echocardiography Laboratory at Hospital Particular da Madeira (HPM), coordinated by Dr. Susana Gomes, has held European Accreditation by EACVI - European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging since December 2024, and is the first and currently the only laboratory in the Autonomous Region of Madeira with this distinction.
You can consult the list of national (12) and international laboratories accredited by the European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging here.
The coordinator, Susana Gomes, and the cardiologists Ricardo Rodrigues, João Adriano Sousa, Flávio Mendonça and Margarida Temtem hold Individual Certification in Transthoracic Echocardiography from EACVI - the European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging.
The technical manager of the Echocardiography Laboratory, Anabela Silva, has a degree in Cardiopneumology and has specialized in Echocardiography since 2018.
The Echocardiography Laboratory at Hospital Particular da Madeira follows the standards and references of the European Society of Cardiovascular Imaging.
Technical Coordinator - Cardiopneumology
Anabela Silva
Medical Team - Cardiologists
Andreia Pereira
Bruno Silva
Flávio Mendonça
Graça Caires
João Adriano Sousa
Margarida Temtem
Nuno Santos
Ricardo Rodrigues
Technician - Cardiopneumology
Alexandre Freitas
It's an exam that is carried out using a probe that emits ultrasound to obtain images of the heart.
It allows you to see the heart at work in real time (2D) and assess the function of the heart muscle (the myocardium), the functioning of the valves and the flow of blood through the blood vessels (Doppler and color study).
It is also possible to take 3D images of the heart and calculate the Strain.
This is a medical exam that is carried out using a special ultrasound probe which is inserted into the esophagus (through the mouth) under sedation.
When there are still doubts about the Transthoracic Echocardiogram, your doctor will prescribe a Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE), as this test allows certain structures of the heart to be better visualized.
This examination is performed to assess the heart under stress or overload. An intravenous drug is administered which will accelerate the heart to simulate physical exertion.
It can be used to assess ischemia (coronary disease), viability after an infarction or to clarify valve problems.
An echocardiogram is performed during physical exertion on a treadmill or on a couch with bicycle pedals attached (a cycle ergometer).
It allows the study of ischemia (coronary disease), clarifying the severity of a valvular problem, pulmonary hypertension with exertion or changes in diastolic function.
Contrast echocardiography can use an ultrasound enhancing agent (contrast) to improve the quality of the images or agitated saline.
It allows you to better visualize the endocardium (inner part of the heart) and the doppler contour (valve function), detect intracardiac masses, anomalous orifices and/or intracardiac shunts.