What To Expect During Echocardiography
Echocardiography is painless and usually takes less
than an hour to perform. For some tests, the doctor will need to inject saline
or a special dye into your vein that makes your heart show up more clearly on
the test images. This special dye is different from the dye used during an
angiogram test.
For most types of echocardiography, you will be
asked to remove your clothing from the waist up. Women will be given a gown to
wear during the procedure. You will lay on your back or left side on an exam
table or stretcher.
EKG electrodes will be attached to your chest to
allow an EKG to be done. A doctor or sonographer (a person specially trained to
do ultrasounds) will apply a gel to your chest that helps the sound waves reach
your heart. A wand-like device called a transducer will then be moved around on
your chest.
The transducer transmits ultrasound waves into your
chest. Echoes from the sound waves will be converted into pictures of your
heart on a computer screen. During the test, the lights in the room are dimmed
so the computer screen is easier to see.
The sonographer will make several recordings of the
images to show different locations in your heart. The recordings will be put on
a computer disc or videotape for the cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in
treating people who have heart problems) to review.
During the test, you may be asked to change
positions or hold your breath for a short time so that the sonographer can get
good pictures of your heart. At times, the sonographer may apply a bit of
pressure to your chest with the transducer. This pressure can be a little
uncomfortable, but it helps the sonographer get the best picture of your heart.
You should let him or her know if you feel too uncomfortable.
Echocardiography is similar for fetal
echocardiography, except in that test the transducer is placed over the
location of the developing babys heart.
Transesophageal Echocardiography
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is used when
the doctor needs a more detailed view of your heart. This may be necessary to
look for blood clots in the heart or if transthoracic echocardiography
doesnt provide a good enough view of certain parts of the heart. A
doctor, not a sonographer, performs this type of echocardiography.
The test uses the same technology as transthoracic
echocardiography, but the transducer is attached to the end of a flexible tube.
The tube is guided down your throat and into your esophagus (the tube leading
from your mouth to your stomach) to get a more detailed image of the heart and
major blood vessels leading to and from the heart.
For TEE, you will probably be given medicine through
a needle inserted in one of your veins to help you relax during the test. Your
blood pressure, the oxygen content of your blood, and other vital signs will be
monitored during the test. You will be given oxygen through a tube to your
nose. If you wear dentures or partials, you will have to remove them.
The back of your mouth is numbed with a gel or a
spray so that you dont gag when the transducer is put down your throat.
The tube with the transducer on the end is gently placed in your throat and
guided down until its in place behind the heart. The images of your heart
are then recorded as the doctor moves the transducer around in your esophagus
and stomach. You shouldnt feel any discomfort as this happens. Although
the imaging usually takes less than an hour, you may be monitored for a few
hours at the doctors office or hospital after the test.
Stress Echocardiography
Stress echocardiography is a transthoracic
echocardiogram combined with either an exercise or chemical stress test. For an
exercise stress test, you walk or run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary
bicycle to make your heart beat fast and pump hard. For a chemical stress test,
youre given medicine to make your heart beat fast and pump hard.
The Diseases and Conditions Index
Stress Testing article provides
additional information on what to expect during a cardiac stress test.
What You May See and Hear During
Echocardiography
As the doctor or sonographer moves the transducer
around, different views of your heart can be seen on the screen of the
echocardiography machine. The structures of the heart will appear as white
objects, while any fluid or blood will appear black on the screen.
Doppler ultrasound techniques are often used during
echocardiography tests. Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound that shows
how blood is flowing through the blood vessels. This allows the sonographer to
see the blood flowing in different speeds and directions. The speeds and
directions appear as different colors moving within the black and white
images.
The human ear is unable to hear the sound waves used
in echocardiography. If Doppler ultrasound is used, however, you may be able to
hear a whooshing sound as the echocardiography machine converts the
echoes into sounds that can be heard and which the doctor can use as
information about the flow of blood through your heart. |