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Ultrasound
Fordland Cinic has arranged for a state-of-the-art mobile ultrasound unit to be available in the clinic every other Wednesday morning.  You will receive the same quality of test that you would receive in Springfield without having to drive to Springfield.

If you are still on deductible or do not have insurance, discounted 'private pay' rates have been negotiated with the company.
 
Healthy Heart Screening

Screening tests for the cardiovascular system are available for the asking, just call to set up an appointment. See the Lab section for the Healthy Heart screening lab tests. These are screening tests to check to see if a problem exists and do not replace a full study that will be needed if a problem is found.  I strongly recommend these screening tests at least once for everyone with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or if you are over 35 years old and have a family history of heart disease, stroke or aneurysm.

Screening of both Carotids ~ $45.00
Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ~ $45.00
Screening for Peripheral Arterial Disease ~ $45.00
Screening tests are not covered by insurance.
All three screenings ~ $99.00

New ~ Screening Echo Cardiogram!    $75.00

An Echo Cardiogram is an excellent screening test that finds many problems in the heart.  Every patient with high blood pressure should have an Echo Cardiogram (Standard of Care) but most insurance will not pay unless there are other findings.  In partnership with Lakeshore we have developed this screening test.  If it is normal, you do not need the full ultrasound.  If it is not, then there is evidence so that your insurance will pay for a full Echo Cardiogram.


What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound or ultrasonography is a medical imaging technique that uses high frequency sound waves and their echoes.  The technique is similar to the echolocation used by bats, whales and dolphins, as well as SONAR used by submarines.

In ultrasound, the following events happen
1.
The ultrasound machine transmits high-frequency (1 to 5 megahertz) sound pulses into your body using a probe.
2.
The sound waves travel into your body and hit a boundary between tissues (e.g. between fluid and soft tissue, soft tissue and bone).
3.
Some of the sound waves get reflected back to the probe, while some travel on further until they reach another boundary and get reflected.
4.
The reflected waves are picked up by the probe and relayed to the machine.
5.
The machine calculates the distance from the probe to the tissue or organ (boundaries) using the speed of sound in tissue (5,005 ft/s or1,540 m/s) and the time of the each echo's return (usually on the order of millionths of a second).
6.
The machine displays the distances and intensities of the echoes on the screen, forming a two dimensional image like the one shown below.
In a typical ultrasound, millions of pulses and echoes are sent and received each second.  The probe can be moved along the surface of the body and angled to obtain various views.

An Ultrasound Examination
For an ultrasound exam, you go into a room with a Sonographer and the ultrasound machine.  The following happens.
1. You remove your clothes (all of your clothes or only those over the area of interest).
2. The ultrasonographer drapes a cloth over any exposed areas that are not needed for the exam.
3. The ultrasonographer applies a mineral oil-based jelly to your skin.  This jelly eliminates air between the probe and your skin to help pass the sound waves into your body.
4. He/she passes the probe over your skin to obtain the required images.  You may be asked to change positions to get better looks at the area of interest.
5. After the images have been acquired and measurements taken, the data is stored on disk.
6. You are given a towelette to clean up.
7. You get dressed.
8. Your Doctor reviews the films and technical report with you.

Need more information about Ultrasound?