Echocardiography Lab at Parnassus

The Echocardiography Lab at Parnassus offers a full array of diagnostic procedures that use ultrasound to create images of the heart. This includes both two- and three-dimensional echocardiography, performed either by applying the ultrasound probe to the chest wall (transthoracic) or by inserting the ultrasound probe into the esophagus using an endoscope (transesophageal) to allow the heart to be pictured without ribs or lungs in the way. The lab also does stress echocardiography – a heart ultrasound performed during exertion – and color flow Doppler, a technique that detects problems with blood flow.

The lab has achieved national accreditation in echocardiography through the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, which sets standards for quality patient care. Services are available at two locations: Parnassus and Mount Zion.