Expert vascular and cardiac ultrasound imaging at our CQC-registered clinic on Weymouth Street, in London's Harley Street Medical Area. Echocardiogram, carotid Doppler, DVT scan and aortic aneurysm screening, with same-day appointments often available and no GP referral required. Cardiovascular imaging is one part of Sonoworld's private ultrasound in London, which also covers women's health, men's health, MSK and screening scans.
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Instant verbal results. Written report within 24 hours.
Cardiovascular ultrasound encompasses both cardiac imaging (echocardiography) and vascular imaging, the assessment of arteries and veins throughout the body. At Sonoworld, our specialist sonographers use high-resolution GE ultrasound equipment to provide accurate, real-time assessment of your heart and vascular system.
All cardiovascular scans are performed by specialist sonographers. A comprehensive written report is delivered within 24 hours, and no GP referral is required. Same-day appointments are often available for most cardiovascular scans at our Weymouth Street clinic.
Choose the scan that matches your clinical need. If you are unsure which scan is right for you, call our team for guidance.
A detailed ultrasound examination of the heart, assessing cardiac structure, function, valves, and chambers. The gold-standard investigation for heart murmurs, palpitations, breathlessness, and suspected cardiomyopathy.
Detailed Doppler assessment of the carotid arteries for stenosis, plaque, and atherosclerosis. The first-line investigation for stroke risk assessment, TIA, and carotid bruit. Results available same day.
Urgent compression ultrasound for suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg or arm. Same-day appointments available. A negative scan provides immediate reassurance; a positive result is reported to your GP within hours.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening: a quick, painless ultrasound that measures the diameter of the aorta. Recommended for men over 65 and anyone with a family history of aortic aneurysm or cardiovascular risk factors.
Use this guide to identify the most appropriate scan for your symptoms. If you are unsure, call our clinical team for advice.
These symptoms may indicate a cardiac cause. An echocardiogram assesses heart structure and function and is the first-line cardiac imaging investigation.
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or carotid bruit detected by your GP requires urgent carotid assessment. A carotid Doppler scan assesses stenosis and stroke risk.
Unilateral leg swelling, calf pain, or redness after travel or surgery may indicate DVT. A DVT ultrasound scan is the gold-standard investigation and can be performed same day.
Men over 65, smokers, and those with a family history of aortic aneurysm should consider an aortic aneurysm scan. Early detection is life-saving.
Book your scan online or call 020 3633 4902. Same-day appointments are available for most cardiovascular scans, including urgent DVT assessment.
Our specialist sonographer will take a brief clinical history before the scan. No fasting is required for most cardiovascular scans (echocardiogram patients should avoid a heavy meal beforehand).
Your scan is performed using high-resolution GE ultrasound equipment by a specialist sonographer. The examination is painless and typically takes 20–45 minutes.
Your sonographer provides immediate verbal feedback after the scan. A comprehensive written report is emailed to you within 24 hours and can be shared with your GP or cardiologist.
Heart and blood-vessel tests answer different questions: some look at the structure of the heart, some at its rhythm, and some at the arteries and veins that supply the body. This comparison sets the tests Sonoworld offers side by side.
| Scan | Price | Time | Best for | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echocardiogram | From £350 | 30 to 45 min | Heart chambers, valves, pumping function; breathlessness, murmur, palpitations, family history | None |
| ECG | Call for price | 10 min | A snapshot of heart rhythm and electrical activity | None |
| Holter monitor | Call for price | 24 to 72 hours worn | Palpitations or skipped beats that come and go | None |
| Carotid Doppler | £235 | 30 min | Narrowing or plaque in the neck arteries; stroke and TIA risk | None |
| DVT scan | £235 | 30 to 45 min | A swollen, painful calf or thigh; suspected clot, same day | None |
| Aortic aneurysm (AAA) scan | £235 | 20 min | Aortic diameter check; men over 65, smokers, high blood pressure, family history | Avoid gas-producing food for 4 to 6 hours |
| Arterial duplex | £235 one limb, £350 both | 30 min | Pain in the calves on walking, cold or discoloured feet; peripheral arterial disease | None |
| Venous reflux scan | £350 | 30 to 45 min | Varicose veins, aching heavy legs, skin changes; both legs | None |
| Cardiovascular screening package | £699 | 60 to 90 min | Echo, carotid Doppler and AAA scan in one visit | Avoid gas-producing food |
| Stroke screening package | £699 | 45 min | Carotids, abdominal aorta and both leg arteries | Four-hour fast |
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It shows the size of the chambers, how well the muscle pumps, whether the valves open and close properly and the pressures across them. Book it for breathlessness, a murmur, swollen ankles, a family history of cardiomyopathy, or after an abnormal ECG when the doctor wants to know whether the heart's structure is the cause. An ECG records the heart's electrical activity for a few seconds and is the fastest first step for palpitations, chest discomfort or a baseline before surgery. If the symptom comes and goes, a ten-second recording can easily miss it, which is what the Holter monitor is for: a small recorder worn for 24 to 72 hours. Atrial fibrillation is diagnosed on an ECG or Holter, and an echo is often requested alongside to look for a structural cause.
The carotid Doppler measures plaque and narrowing in the arteries that supply the brain and is the scan to book after a TIA or minor stroke, when a GP has heard a bruit in the neck, or for a family history of stroke. The AAA scan measures the diameter of the abdominal aorta, which matters most for men over 65, current or former smokers and people with high blood pressure or a relative who has had an aneurysm. The arterial duplex examines blood flow through the leg or arm arteries and is the test for cramping calf pain on walking, cold or discoloured feet, or wounds that will not heal. The two screening packages bundle these: stroke screening covers carotids, aorta and both legs, while the cardiovascular package pairs the carotid and aorta scans with an echocardiogram.
These two are often confused. The DVT scan is an urgent test for a suspected clot: a calf or thigh that has become swollen, painful or warm, particularly after travel, surgery or immobility. It is available the same day and follows the NICE-recommended compression technique. The venous reflux scan is a planned examination of valve function in both legs for varicose veins, aching or heavy legs and skin changes around the ankle, and it produces the map a vascular surgeon needs before treating the veins.
All of these tests use ultrasound with colour and spectral Doppler, which shows the direction and speed of blood flow as well as the vessel wall, so there is no radiation, no injection and no contrast agent. A venous reflux study is partly performed standing, because valve leakage shows best when the veins are under load; a DVT scan uses gentle compression of the vein with the probe; and an echocardiogram is done lying on your left side while the sonographer works through a set sequence of views. Each examination takes between 20 and 45 minutes, and the person performing it explains what they are seeing as they go.
Most vascular scans need no preparation. Scans that include the aorta ask you to avoid gas-producing foods for a few hours, and the stroke screening package includes a four-hour fast for its aortic component. Echocardiograms are performed and reported by BSE-accredited practitioners, and every test comes with verbal findings on the day and a written report within 24 hours. Contrast echo, stress echo and transoesophageal echo are not offered at the clinic; the echocardiogram pages explain what each of those adds and when a cardiologist would arrange one.
Chest pain at rest, sudden breathlessness, a face-arm-speech change or a suddenly cold, painful limb are emergencies: call 999 rather than booking a scan. Use the Scan Advisor, call 020 3633 4902, or book the scan that matches your main symptom: the clinician will tell you on the day if a different examination would answer your question better.
A comprehensive guide to echocardiography: what it shows, how it is performed, and what conditions it can diagnose.
Read the guide →Understanding the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis and when to seek urgent assessment.
Read the guide →When are palpitations benign and when do they warrant cardiac investigation? A clinical guide.
Read the guide →Understanding the difference between an echocardiogram and an electrocardiogram, and when each is appropriate.
Read the guide →A plain-English explanation of the different types of Doppler ultrasound used in vascular imaging.
Read the guide →How ultrasound assesses venous reflux, varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, and when a scan is needed.
Read the guide →
