Echocardiogram
What is an echocardiogram?
Also called an echo or diagnostic cardiac ultrasound, an echocardiogram is a common test that allows your cardiologist to evaluate how your heart beats and pumps blood.
It does not use radiation and is a noninvasive test, which means it doesn’t require your skin to be pierced. Instead, it uses ultrasound to take pictures of your heart’s chambers, walls, valves and blood vessels to assess your heart’s function and structures.
What happens during an echocardiogram?
Echo tests take about 40 to 60 minutes and typically don’t involve any discomfort or sedation.
During the procedure, a technician places a microphone-shaped probe, called a transducer, on top of your chest. The transducer sends ultrasonic sound waves through your heart’s structures, which bounce or “echo” back to the probe to create digital images of your heart valves and walls.
Convenient Access to Expert Heart Care
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