Echocardiogram (Echo)
What is an echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to make pictures of your heart. The test is also called echocardiography or diagnostic cardiac ultrasound.
Some types of echocardiograms:
- Transthoracic echocardiography: Used to check for heart failure and find the cause of a heart murmur
- Stress echocardiography: Can identify partial or complete blockage of a heart artery
- Transesophageal echocardiography: Includes finding the source of a blood vessel blockage or prosthetic valve problem
- 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
- The heart’s pumping strength
- If the heart valves are working correctly
- If blood is leaking backwards 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 will 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 doesn’t hurt and has no side effects.
What happens after the echo?
Your health care professional will talk with you after looking at your echo pictures and discuss what the pictures show.
View a printable sheet: What is an Echocardiogram? (PDF)
