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Echocardiogram (ECHO)
Echocardiography is an extremely useful tool for evaluating abnormalities within the heart. In fact, most heart problems can be diagnosed with ultrasound, avoiding the need for invasive heart catheterization for the vast majority of patients. Echos are used to:
- measure the dimensions and shape of the structures of the heart
- evaluate pressure gradients within the heart
- visualize blood flow and valve leakage
- evaluate the condition of the valves
- identify abnormal blood-flow patterns
- evaluate the pumping strength
- assess blood pressures in the arteries of the lungs
Echocardiography relies on ultrasound, the same technology used in fish locators on boats--and prenatal sonograms. A small device that looks like a microphone, called a transducer or probe, directs ultrasound waves into the chest. The returning sound waves are analyzed by a computer that generates images that can be viewed on a video screen. The information collected by the echocardiograph can be displayed three ways: The M-mode echocardiogram looks nothing like a heart. This abstract image is used to measure the size of various structures in the heart and the exact thickness of the heart muscle.
The 2-D echocardiogram provides a moving image that shows how well all the parts of the heart are working. These two-dimensional images offer a view of the heart as if its layers were slices in a loaf of bread. The Doppler echocardiogram helps doctors evaluate the blood-flow paths through the heart. You'll hear a "whoosh" sound during the procedure that represents blood flowing past the heart's various structures.
No preparation is needed for the standard echo known as a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). In this procedure, which usually takes one to two hours, a technician applies a watery gel to the chest and then slides the transducer across the chest to scan the heart from various angles. The technician monitors the electrical activity of the heart throughout the procedure using electrodes that are attached to the chest with sticky pads. In some cases, a contrast agent, akin to a dye, is injected into a vein to improve the images from the echo. Most patients say the procedure is painless, although some report slight discomfort from the pressure of the transducer on the chest. This section includes information on three other types of echocardiograms that may be used to evaluate congenital heart disease: the fetal echocardiogram, the transesophageal echocardiogram, and the stress echocardiogram.
Other types of echocardiograms
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