What is a Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram?
Echocardiography is a noninvasive (the skin is not pierced) procedure used to assess the heart’s function and structures. A transducer (like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on your chest at certain locations and angles, the ultrasonic sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues, where the waves echo off of the heart structures. The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the heart walls and valves. The physician may wish to see an echo done after exercise to evaluate the effects of exercise on the heart. However, some people may be unable to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle due to conditions such as: • recent heart attack • severe hypertension (high blood pressure) • severe arrhythmias (heart rate is too fast, too slow, or too irregular) • severe leg pain with exercise due to po
