Echo(Echocardiography) Heart Test

The Echocardiography Heart Test otherwise known as Echo for short is a sonogram of the heart. It  uses standard two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and Doppler ultrasound to create images of the heart

•  A Doppler Ultrasound test uses reflected sound waves to see how blood flows through a blood vessel. It helps doctors evaluate blood flow through major arteries and veins, such as those of the arms, legs, and neck. It can show blocked or reduced blood flow through narrowing in the major arteries of the neck that could cause a stroke. It also can reveal blood clots in leg veins (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) that could break loose and block blood flow to the lungs.

 

 An Echo can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, and the location and extent of any tissue damage. An Echo can also give physicians other estimates of heart function such as a calculation of the cardiac output, ejection fraction, and diastolic function (how well the heart relaxes). It can also produce an  accurate assessment of the blood flowing through the heart, using pulsed or continuous waves. This allows assessment of both normal and abnormal blood flow through the heart.

•  Color Doppler as well as spectral Doppler is used to visualize any abnormal communications between the left and right side of the heart, any leaking of blood through the valves, and to estimate how well the valves open (or do not open in the case of valvular stenosis).
•  Valvular Stenosis- an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure.

The use of Stress Echo also helps doctors to determine whether any chest pain or associated symptoms are related to heart disease. But its biggest advantage is that it is noninvasive (doesn't involve breaking the skin or entering body cavities) and has no known risks or side effects.

•  Transthoracic Echocardiogram-A standard echocardiogram
•  Stress Echocardiography-A stress echocardiogram, also known as a stress echo or SE, utilizes ultrasound imaging of the heart to assess the wall motion in response to physical stress
•  Three-Dimensional Echocardiography-3D echocardiography (also known as 4D echocardiography when the picture is moving) is now possible, using a matrix array ultrasound probe and an appropriate processing system. This enables detailed anatomical assessment of cardiac pathology, particularly valvular defects, and cardiomyopathies.

•  Contrast echocardiography-Contrast echocardiography, or Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is the addition of ultrasound contrast medium, or imaging agent, to traditional ultrasonography. The ultrasound contrast is made up of tiny microbubbles filled with a gas core and protein shell. This allows the microbubbles to circulate through the cardiovascular system and return the ultrasound waves creating a highly reflective image.