ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
Echocardiography uses sound waves to produce images of the heart and heart function. Depending on the type of echocardiography used, doctors can see how blood is flowing through the heart and study the size, shape, and movement of heart muscle, heart valves, and arteries.
How It Works
Echocardiography uses high-frequency sound waves (also called ultrasound) that are reflected off of the heart and recorded to provide moving pictures. The sound waves are sent through the body with a device called a transducer. The sound waves bounce off of the heart and return to the transducer as echoes. The echoes are converted into images on a television monitor to produce a one-, two-, or three-dimensional picture of the heart.
-One-dimensional or M-mode echocardiography is one beam of ultrasound directed toward the heart. Doctors most often use M-mode echocardiography to see just the left side (or main pumping chamber) of the heart.
-Two-dimensional echocardiography, one of the most important diagnostic tools for doctors, produces a broader moving picture of the heart.
-Three-dimensional echocardiography…
- Doppler echocardiography measures blood flowing through the arteries and shows the pattern of flow through the heart.
What To Expect
No special preparation is needed before an echocardiogram. During the test, the patient lies on an examination table. A technician connects the patient to an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine to monitor heart rhythm during the test. Next, the technician applies a thick gel to the patient’s chest. The gel may feel cold; it does not harm the skin. Then the technician uses the transducer to send and receive the sound waves. The transducer is placed directly on the left side of the chest above the heart. The technician presses firmly as he or she moves the transducer across the chest. The patient may be asked to breathe in or out or to briefly hold his or her breath during the test. For most of the test, the patient just lies still. An echocardiogram may take up to 45 minutes to perform, and the patient should not have any pain or discomfort during the test.
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