What is an echo?
An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound examination of the
heart. Ultrasound uses sound waves that bounce of structures inside the body, and are changed to picture format by the
echo computer. Images show heart chambers, heart valves, direction and velocity of blood flow and any abnormal structures
or foreign objects.
Why have an echocardiogram?
An echo is commonly used to
evaluate chest pain, passing out spells, fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, murmurs, abnormal EKG, and other symptoms.
An echo can view the heart and detect valve regurgitation (leakage), valve stenosis (blockage), a weak heart muscle
(cardiomyopathy, heart attack), holes in the heart (PFO, ASD, VSD), thickening or enlarging of the heart, stiffness, tumors,
blood clots, fluid around the heart, calcium buildup, rupture of the aorta, and other abnormalities.
What is the procedure like?
If your doctor has ordered an echo, you will need to arrive to the appropriate clinic at your
scheduled time. An echo technician will bring you back, and give you a gown to wear. Electrodes are placed on
the body to monitor the electrical activity of the heart during the exam. The technician will then take pictures of
your heart for approximately 30 minutes, and record these findings. The physician reading the exam will review the findings
and compile a report, and send it back to your physician. Results are available on the same day, but your physician
may not have a report back for 1-2 days. If there are any major concerns, the technician will get a cardiologist to
review the pictures before you leave. The test usually takes an hour to complete. There is nothing special
required of you before the echo exam.
What is an ejection fraction?
The ejection fraction is the percent of blood that is ejected from the left ventricle of the
heart with each heart beat. A normal ejection fraction is 55-70%, meaning that a little more than half of the blood
volume in the heart is pushed out to the body with each heart beat. With exercise, this percentage will increase.
Heart attacks and other diseases will cause the efficiency of the heart to decrease. An echocardiogram is an excellent
way to monitor the heart's ejection fraction, and may be repeated over time to monitor for improvement or worsening function.
If the heart is weak, the ejection fraction measures less than 50%.
An example of an echocardiogram procedure at the Heart Center.
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