Echocardiography, << ehk oh kahr dee OG ruh fee, >> is a method of examining the heart using sound waves. It is done using an ultrasound machine. This machine uses transducers which send pulses of ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves) through the patient and receive the reflections or echoes. Echocardiography is widely used in hospitals as a safe alternative to other tests. It does not make use of potentially harmful radiation or chemicals, as do X-ray imaging and angiography (see Angiography ). For this reason, it is especially useful for examining the heart of a baby before birth.
There are two main types of echocardiography. They are transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography.
In transthoracic echocardiography, a technician places several transducers on the patient’s chest. The ultrasound machine records the data, producing a two-dimensional image of the beating heart. Some instruments can produce a three-dimensional image. Doctors can use it to examine the size of each heart chamber and the thickness of the heart walls and to evaluate overall heart function. Different settings can be used to determine patterns of blood flow in the heart and to detect structural problems such as leaks in the heart valves. It is often used to evaluate heart function after a heart attack or in patients with congestive heart failure. It may also be used in a cardiac stress test. Here, the heart is examined both prior to and after the patient exercises or receives a drug to make the heart beat faster.
Transesophageal echocardiography uses the same ultrasound principles. But in this procedure, a doctor inserts an ultrasound probe into the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). The heart can then be viewed with less obstruction from muscles and bones of the chest. This method is used to obtain more detailed information about the heart and to better visualize the heart valves
