Echocardiogram
Echocardiogram
A sonogram of the heart is called an echocardiogram, often referred to as a cardiac echo. To create images of the heart, echocardiography uses standard two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and Doppler ultrasound to create images of the heart. For patients with an suspected or known heart diseases, an echocardiography is used for diagnosis management, and follow-ups. One of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology is an echocardiogram. An echocardiogram can provide a plethora of information such as the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, and the location and extent of any tissue damage. An echocardiogram is also useful for providing physicians with other estimates of heart functions such as ejection fraction, calculation of the cardiac output, and the dia
stolic function (how well the heart relaxes).
Echocardiography is very useful in detecting cardiomyopathies, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and many others. To determine whether any chest pain or associated symptoms are related to heart disease, a Stress Echocardiography is performed. One of the biggest advantages of an echocardiography is that it is noninvasive and has no known side effects or risks.
An echocardiogram can create ultrasound images of heart structures and it can produce accurate assessment of the blood flowing through the heart using pulsed or continuous wave Doppler ultrasound. What this does is allow the assessment of both normal and abnormal blood flow through the heart. Spectral Doppler as well as Color 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 estimates how well the valves open.
