Echocardiogram (ECHO)

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram uses sound waves to make pictures of your heart. This test is also called echocardiography or diagnostic cardiac ultrasound.

Some types of echocardiograms

Transthoracic echocardiography: Used to check for heart failure and help find the cause of a heart murmur
Stress echocardiography: Can identify partial or complete blockage of a heart artery
Transesophageal echocardiography: Helps find the source of a blood vessel blockage or prosthetic valve problems
3D echocardiography: Used to diagnose problems with the mitral valve
Fetal echocardiography: Used to look for problems in the heart of an unborn baby

Why is it needed?

An echo test lets your health care team look at your heart’s structure and check how well your heart works. The test helps your health care team find out:

The size and shape of your heart
How your heart moves and pumps blood
Your heart’s pumping strength
Whether your heart valves are working correctly
If blood is leaking backward through your heart valves (regurgitation)
If the heart valves are too narrow (stenosis)
If a tumor or infectious growth is around your heart valves

The test will also help your health care team find out if you have:

Problems with the outer lining of your heart (the pericardium)
Problems with the large blood vessels that enter and leave the heart
Blood clots in the chambers of your heart
Abnormal holes between the chambers of the heart
Abnormal heart sounds from damaged heart valves

What are the risks?

An echo test doesn’t hurt and has no side effects.

What happens after the echo?

Your health care professional will talk with you after reviewing your echo pictures and discuss what the images show.

Ready to talk with our team?

Contact Tennessee Heart to schedule your echocardiogram and discuss whether it’s the right test for your heart health needs.