Also called an “echo,” this test is done to check how the valves and chambers of your heart are working. The test can also reveal the size of the heart and the thickness and movement of the heart wall.
During an echocardiogram, a health care provider — typically a radiographer or sonographer — uses sound waves produced by a device called a transducer to create a moving picture of your heart. Echocardiograms are painless and noninvasive.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram
A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) also uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This test is used if more detailed images are needed than can be produced in a standard echocardiogram.
For a TEE, a tiny transducer is attached to a thin tube that is introduced into your esophagus. Because the esophagus travels very close to your heart, very clear images of the heart and its valves can be obtained.
Your Echocardiogram Results
Englewood Health Physician Network cardiologists with special expertise in echocardiography will examine the images to:
- Examine the structure of the heart and its walls
- Look at how blood flows through the heart
- Show whether the heart valves are functioning as expected
- Look for any blood clots in the heart