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Echo Cardiography
About Echo Cardiography
Echocardiography, often called an echo, is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses ultrasound waves to produce live images of the heart. It allows doctors to see the heart beating, pumping blood, and functioning in real time.
- It is painless and usually performed by placing a probe (called a transducer) on the chest.
- The sound waves bounce off heart structures and create moving images on a screen.
Purpose Types of Echocardiography in a Hospital
Echocardiography is essential for diagnosing, evaluating, and monitoring heart conditions.
Purpose of Echocardiography
- Assessing Heart Structure
- Visualizes chambers, valves, muscle walls, and major blood vessels
- Detects abnormalities like enlargement, thickening, or congenital defects
- Evaluating Heart Function
- Measures how well the heart is pumping blood (ejection fraction)
- Assesses movement of heart walls and valve performance
- Detecting Heart Diseases
- Identifies:
- Heart failure
- Valve disorders (e.g., stenosis, regurgitation)
- Pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart)
- Clots, tumors, or infections
- Monitoring Chronic Heart Conditions
- Used to track progression of diseases like cardiomyopathy or valve disease
- Guiding Treatment Decisions
- Helps determine if surgery, medications, or other interventions are needed
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echo (TTE): Most common; probe placed on chest
Transesophageal Echo (TEE): Probe inserted into the esophagus for clearer images
Stress Echocardiography: Combines echo with exercise or medication-induced stress
Doppler Echocardiography: Evaluates blood flow and pressure in heart chambers
