What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram is a safe, non-invasive diagnostic test that uses high-frequency sound waves (not detectable by the human ear) to produce images of the heart and its vessels. During an echocardiogram, a modified microphone called a transducer directs sound waves at the heart's tissues. These sound waves bounce off the tissue, and are translated into a moving image on a computer screen.

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound study of the heart. It is very similar to the test women have during pregnancy to check on the health and development of the baby.

Like all ultrasound tests, an echocardiogram uses harmless sound waves to create detailed images of organs, tissues and blood flow inside the body. During an echocardiogram a probe, or transducer, is moved over the chest and abdomen, directing the high-frequency sound waves toward the heart. The transducer also receives the “echo” waves that bounce back off of the heart and its internal structures, including the valves between the upper and lower chambers, chamber walls and blood vessels.

The transducer records the time it took for a sound wave to bounce back as well as tiny changes in its pitch and direction. A computer instantly analyzes this information and creates images of the beating heart on a monitor in real time.

An echocardiogram is a sonogram of the heart.  In other words, sound waves can be “bounced” off the chest by a transducer and an image of the heart is then displayed on a screen.  The technician that performs the test requires special training and education in heart anatomy.  The echocardiogram is read by a cardiologist and provides very important information about the functioning of the heart.  For example, an accurate estimation of the heart’s structure (including heart valves), function and flow of blood through the heart can be obtained.  In a person with heart failure, the doctor can also get an idea of the approximate size of the heart and the degree of dysfunction.  How efficiently the left ventricle (the bottom left chamber of the heart) pumps blood can be determined by an echocardiogram and is called the ejection fraction. 

An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. An echocardiogram evaluates the presence of blood clots in the heart chambers and can assess the communication between the right and left sides of your heart. An echocardiogram may be done to check for heart function and heart wall thickness.

An echocardiogram is a noninvasive (the skin is not pierced) procedure used to assess the heart's function and structures. During the procedure, a transducer (like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on the chest at certain locations and angles, the ultrasonic sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues, where the waves echo off of the heart structures. The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the heart walls and valves.

An echocardiogram (echo) is a type of ultrasound examination that uses high-pitched sound waves sent through a device called a transducer to produce an image of the heart and sometimes the aorta.

An echocardiogram measures how well the heart is working by evaluating blood flow, heart valves, and heart size, thickness, shape, and muscle movement.

The different types of echocardiograms are:

• Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), in which a transducer is moved over different locations on the chest or abdomen.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), in which the transducer is passed down the esophagus (the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach) to provide clearer pictures of the heart.
• Stress echocardiogram, in which the echocardiogram is done before and after the heart is stressed by exercise or medicine.

An echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. The picture can help doctors evaluate the heart’s structures, including the muscles and valves. Doctors may be able to see a hole in the wall that divides the left and right sides of the heart or a deformity of a heart valve, for example. The test allows doctors to see heart functioning such as:

• The motion of the muscular walls in the heart’s lower chambers, which provides insight into the heart’s pumping power.
• The size of heart structures, such as valves and pumping chambers;
• The flow of blood within the heart and blood vessels (which can be seen on a color Doppler echocardiogram). Seeing blood flow helps doctors identify and assess abnormalities; and
• Pressure differences between one part of the heart and another based on how quickly blood is flowing. 

There are no known risks associated with echocardiography and ultrasound exposure.