Echocardiography Interview
Avi: Good morning, Devora. Thank you for joining me today. Can you start by telling me a little bit about your background and how you became an echo technician?
Devora: Sure, Avi. I’ve been working as an echo technician for over 10 years now. Before that, I actually started out as a nurse in the cardiology department of a hospital. I was always interested in the heart and how it worked, so when the opportunity to specialize in echocardiography came up, I jumped at it.
Avi: That’s interesting. What kind of patients do you typically see on a daily basis?
Devora: Well, we see all kinds of patients - from newborns to elderly individuals. Some are referred to us because they have symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, while others may have known heart conditions that need monitoring.
Avi: And what kind of information does an echocardiogram provide about the heart?
Devora: An echocardiogram is essentially an ultrasound exam of the heart. It allows us to see the different structures within the heart - like the valves and chambers - and assess how well they’re functioning. We can also look at things like blood flow and pressure within the heart.
Avi: That’s fascinating. Are there any common misconceptions that people have about echocardiography?
Devora: Yes, definitely. One common misconception is that it’s a painful or invasive procedure - but really, it’s completely non-invasive and doesn’t involve any radiation exposure either. Another misconception is that it’s only used for diagnosing heart disease - but we also use echocardiography to monitor patients who already have known heart conditions.
Avi: That’s good to know. Can you walk me through what happens during an echocardiogram?
Devora: Of course! The patient lies down on their left side on an exam table while we apply some gel to their chest area. Then we place a transducer - which looks like a small wand - directly onto their skin and move it around to get different views of the heart.
As we’re doing this, we’ll be able to see real-time images of the patient’s heart on a screen next to us. We can adjust settings like brightness and contrast as needed to get clearer images.
The whole process usually takes around 30 minutes or so, depending on what exactly we’re looking for.
Avi: That sounds relatively straightforward. Have there been any cases that stand out in your mind as particularly challenging or rewarding?
Devora: Definitely! There was one patient I worked with who had a very complex congenital heart condition that required multiple surgeries over time. Being able to follow her progress through regular echocardiograms was incredibly rewarding for me personally.
On the other hand, there have also been cases where we’ve discovered something unexpected during an echocardiogram - like a previously unknown hole in someone’s heart known as a PFO- which can be challenging both for us as technicians and for our patients.
Avi: It sounds like you really enjoy your work despite some of its challenges!
Devora: Absolutely! Echocardiography is such a fascinating field with new advances coming out all the time.
Avi: Speaking of advances…how do you stay up-to-date with new technology?
Devora: Well, attending conferences and continuing education courses is definitely important for staying current with new developments in our field. Additionally, there are many online resources available these days that make it easy to keep learning even outside of formal training programs.
Avi: That makes sense. And what are some goals or projects you’re currently working towards within your role as an echo technician?
Devora: Right now I’m actually working on developing some training materials specifically aimed at newer technicians who might not be as familiar with some of the more advanced aspects of echocardiography yet.
Avi: Sounds like exciting work! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me today, Devora – it’s been really informative.
Devora: Thank you too Avi – happy to share my knowledge anytime!