What is an echocardiogram (or echocardiography)?
This is a technique that sends sound waves (like sonar) into the chest to rebound from the heart’s walls and valves. The recorded waves show the shape, texture and movement of the valves on an echocardiogram. They also show the size of the heart chambers and how well they’re working. This technique doesn’t hurt and poses no risk. It’s done in the same way as ultrasound pictures of a fetus are taken in pregnant women. What is stress echocardiography? Stress echocardiography or “stress echo” is an echocardiogram done before and during or immediately after some form of physical stress (such as bicycle or treadmill exercise). It’s used to help diagnose coronary heart disease. What is transesophageal (tranz”e-sof”ah-JE’al) echocardiography (TEE)? TEE is a special type of echocardiogram. A tube with an echocardiogram transducer on the end of it is passed down a person’s throat and into the esophagus. (This is the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.) The esophagus is right behind the he
