Dr. Le-Bert Improving Scope of Cardiac Care in Nassau Cty

In keeping with our commitment to provide the highest quality of cardiology care to the communities of Northeast Florida, Southern Heart Group is working hard to improve the scope of services available to Nassau County and surrounding areas. Beginning this week, transesophageal echocardiogram (also known as TEE), an important diagnostic test used to better visualize deep cardiac structures, will be available in Nassau County for the first time.

Southern Heart Group’s own Dr. George Le-Bert, a cardiologist board certified in both transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography, will be performing the diagnostic procedure at Baptist Medical Center Nassau in Fernandina Beach. Previously, patients needing this advanced cardiac imaging were required to travel well outside of Nassau County to have the test performed. Says Dr. Le-Bert, “We now have the ability to evaluate and manage a variety of complex cardiac conditions that traditionally have required transfer to other institutions.”

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional or sometimes three-dimensional slices of the heart. A standard echo is obtained by applying a transducer to the front of the chest. The ultrasound beam travels through the chest wall (skin, muscle, bone, tissue) and lungs to reach the heart. At times, certain physical traits of the patient such as closely positioned ribs may create technical difficulties by limiting the transmission of the ultrasound beams to and from the heart. In such cases, your physician may elect to get a transesophageal echo, where the echo transducer is placed in the esophagus or food pipe that connects the mouth to the stomach. Since the esophagus sits behind the heart, the echo beam does not have to travel through the front of the chest, avoiding any obstacles such as the one described above. Therefore, TEE offers a much clearer image of the heart, particularly, the back structures, such as the left atrium, which may not be seen as well by a standard echo taken from the front of the heart.

TEE is a relatively common procedure that is extremely useful in diagnosing a variety of heart problems. The ability to offer this important diagnostic tool and offer advanced cardiac imaging to Nassau County residents in the community in which they live will improve patient care and convenience dramatically.

As a Southern Heart Group physician, Dr.Le-Bert is part of a distinguished team of multi-disciplined cardiovascular specialists dedicated to providing superior care and service. Dr. Le-Bert practices full time at our Fernandina Beach location and is currently accepting new patients. For more information on TEE or on Dr. Le-Bert, please contact us at (904) 885-6646.