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Echocardiogram (Echo)

An Echo is a useful test for studying the heart’s anatomy. It is non-invasive and entirely safe. An echo provides a lot of information about the heart structure and function; the size and shape of the heart chambers, valves and the blood flow. An echo can identify areas of the heart muscle that may be damaged and not working efficiently and valves that are leaking. It can also show if there are any blood clots.

The patient lies on a bed and the operator places a probe over the chest wall. A gel is applied to the chest wall and the probe is moved back and forth across the chest wall, collecting several “views” of the heart. The probe placed on the chest sends sound waves toward the heart which bounce off the cardiac structures. The test takes 20- 30 minutes to complete.

 

Other Tests Explained

• Contrast Echo/Bubble study
• Doppler ultrasound
  • abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
  • DVT screen
  • Varicose vein screen
• Exercise ECG (stress) testing
• 24hr ECG monitoring
• 24hr Blood pressure
• Sports screening
• Insurance medicals