Echocardiography

Echocardiograms at Zwanger-Pesiri

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This test allows us to see your heart beating and blood being pumped. Your doctor can use the images from an echocardiogram to identify heart disease. Our dedicated cardiac ultrasound department has extensive experience in echocardiography and is here to speak directly with your physician for the best patient outcomes.

Echocardiography at Zwanger-Pesiri

How does an Echocardiogram work?

An echocardiogram uses ultrasound technology, along with electrodes, to check your heart’s rhythm and to see how blood moves through your heart. An echocardiogram can help your doctor diagnose certain types of heart conditions. It allows us to figure out if your heart's chambers and valves are pumping blood through your heart. The sound waves from the ultrasound make moving pictures of your heart to get a good look at its size and shape.

Why might I need an Echocardiogram?

Your doctor may order an echocardiogram to:

  • Look for heart disease
  • Monitor heart valve disease over time
  • See how well medical or surgical treatments are working
  • Check for problems with the valves or chambers of your heart
  • Check if heart problems are the cause of symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain
  • Detect congenital heart defects before birth (fetal echocardiogram)

Echocardiogram with Myocardial Strain

An echocardiogram with myocardial strain is a new ultrasound test that takes images of your heart and evaluates the function of your heart muscle (myocardium). Finding any abnormalities with how your heart moves will allows us to make an earlier diagnosis.

Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)

A TTE exam for the heart is the most common type of echocardiogram performed for those with heart conditions. Transthoracic means on the chest wall. An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound test of the heart. During a transthoracic echo, we use sound waves to create computerized outlines of your heart and its attached blood vessels. This allows us to visualize your heart’s chambers, valves and blood vessels for cardiac issues including extra fluid building up around your heart.

There is no major preparation for an echocardiogram with strain exam. Just a few things to keep in mind.

  • You may eat and drink as you normally would on the day of the test.
  • Take all your prescribed medications at the usual times.
  • Wear comfortable, loose clothing.
  • Do not wear jewelry.
  • Be sure to bring your prescription, insurance card and photo ID.

The test takes about one hour. During an echocardiogram with strain, a cardiac sonographer will:

  • Place three electrodes (small, flat, sticky patches) on your chest. The electrodes send information to an electrocardiograph (EKG) monitor that charts your heart’s electrical activity during the test.
  • Ask you to lie on your left side on an exam table, sometimes with your left arm above your head.
  • Place a device called a transducer on several areas of your chest. The end of the device will have a small amount of gel on it, but it won’t harm your skin. This gel helps produce clearer pictures.
  • Ask you to change positions several times during the exam so the sonographer can take pictures of different areas of your heart.
  • Ask you to hold your breath at times.