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Echocardiography
Overview
What is Echocardiography?
Echocardiography is a noninvasive (the skin is not pierced) procedure
used to assess the heart's function and structures. A transducer
(like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency
too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on your 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 can utilize one or more of four special types
of echocardiography, as listed below:
- M-Mode echocardiography
This, the simplest type of echocardiography, produces an image
that is similar to a tracing rather than an actual picture of
heart structures. M-mode echo is useful for measuring heart
structures, such as the heart's pumping chambers, the size of
the heart itself, and the thickness of the heart walls.
- Doppler echocardiography
This Doppler technique is used to measure and assess the flow
of blood through the heart's chambers and valves. The amount
of blood pumped out with each beat is an indication of the heart's
functioning. Also, Doppler can detect abnormal blood flow within
the heart, which can indicate a problem with one or more of
the heart's four valves, or with the heart's walls.
- Color Doppler
Color Doppler is an enhanced form of Doppler echocardiography.
With color Doppler, different colors are used to designate the
direction of blood flow. This simplifies the interpretation
of the Doppler technique.
- 2-D (2-dimensional) echocardiography
This technique is used to "see" the actual structures
and motion of the heart structures. A 2-D echo view appears
cone-shaped on the monitor, and the real-time motion of the
heart's structures can be observed. This enables the physician
to see the various heart structures at work and evaluate them.
Reasons
for the Procedure
An echocardiogram may be scheduled to further evaluate signs or
symptoms that may suggest atherosclerotic, heart disease, cardiomyopathy,
congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, aneurysm,
valvular heart disease, a cardiac tumor, or other conditions.
Risks
of the Procedure
No known risks.
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