An echocardiogram is a noninvasive test that uses sound waves to create an image of your heart.

At 博彩网站, you’ll find:

• We have state-of-the-art equipment and offer complex scans that aren’t widely available.
• Our team can perform specialized echocardiograms for patients with structural heart disease, heart transplant, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiac amyloidosis and cardiac sarcoidosis.
• We are one of the only teams in the region that performs echocardiograms for patients with adult congenital heart disease.
• 博彩网站 pioneered the use of myocardial contrast echocardiogram (MCE). We are the only hospital on the West Coast to offer this advanced test that can detect coronary heart disease early.

What is an echocardiogram

An echocardiogram uses sound waves to make a detailed image of your heart. An echocardiogram is sometimes called an echo or a heart ultrasound.

At 博彩网站, we also offer:

• Exercise stress test. This test creates moving images of your heart’s activity during exercise.
• Myocardial contrast echocardiogram. This test uses microbubbles to detect decreased blood flow in arteries.

Echocardiogram vs. electrocardiogram

An echocardiogram is different than an electrocardiogram, or EKG. An electrocardiogram uses small electrodes placed on the chest to measure your heart’s electrical activity, including how fast it is beating and whether the rhythm is steady.

Unlike an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram does not produce an image of your heart. You may receive both tests as part of your diagnosis and treatment at 博彩网站.

What echocardiogram is used for

An echocardiogram can show your doctor the size of your heart, its shape and how it’s working. It also shows the function of your heart valves. Doctors use an echocardiogram to diagnose heart conditions such as:

• Heart failure
• Aortic disease
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve disease

Your doctor might recommend an echocardiogram if they want to check on a condition you’ve been diagnosed with. They also use an echocardiogram to see how your heart is responding to treatment.

How to prepare for an echocardiogram

You don’t have to do much to prepare for an echocardiogram. You can eat and drink normally, and you can wear what you want to your appointment. In most cases, you can take your medications as usual.

Be sure to follow the instructions given to you by your care team. They’ll also send you instructions on MyChart. If you don’t follow the instructions, we may have to reschedule your echocardiogram.

What happens during an echocardiogram

At the start of your appointment, you’ll remove your clothes from the waist up and put on a hospital gown.

The sonographer (ultrasound technician) will place a light probe on your chest. The probe uses sound waves to create an image of your heart. The images are displayed in real-time on a video screen and are recorded.

An echocardiogram usually takes 45-60 minutes.

After your appointment

After your test, our team will send the results to your doctor. Your doctor will review the results and share their recommendations with you.

Your echocardiogram results play a part in your treatment. But they do not determine your treatment. Your doctor will consider things like your age, other test results, risk factors and overall health in recommending next steps.

Exercise stress test

A stress echocardiogram measures how your heart performs under stress.

First, you’ll get an echocardiogram when you’re at rest. Then, you will exercise on a treadmill or bike to “stress” your heart. Once you’ve reached a certain heart rate, which is based on your age, you’ll get another echocardiogram.

The echocardiogram will record your heart’s activity and create moving images that show how your heart is functioning under stress.

If you can’t use a treadmill or exercise bike, your doctor might give you a chemical stress test. Instead of exercising, you’ll take a medicine that causes your heart to beat faster, like it would during exercise.

Myocardial contrast echocardiogram

博彩网站 is the only hospital on the West Coast to offer a myocardial contrast echocardiogram (MCE). This is a powerfully effective test that can detect coronary heart disease early.

An MCE is a noninvasive test that uses microbubbles to detect decreased blood flow in arteries. It provides a more detailed, real-time ultrasound of the heart than traditional echocardiograms.

博彩网站's Sanjiv Kaul, M.D., pioneered the field of MCE because detecting heart attacks with traditional tests can be very difficult. They either take too long or miss blockages. Since the heart is always moving and contracting, getting a detailed image is not easy.

How does a myocardial contrast echocardiogram work?

Doctors inject tiny bubbles the size of red blood cells into your veins that travel to your heart. The bubbles are acoustic, allowing doctors to "hear" the movements of your heart and get a much more accurate ultrasound.

博彩网站 is one of only a few hospitals in the country using microbubble technology to instantly detect heart attacks. Traditional EKGs don't detect heart attacks up to 50% of the time. Microbubble technology quickly gives doctors an accurate view of decreased blood flow to your heart.