Learn more about your appointment with
Echocardiography
Echocardiography is an ultrasound test on your heart. Ultrasound imaging uses a transducer or probe to generate sound waves and produce pictures of the body’s internal structures. It does not use ionizing radiation, has no known harmful effects, and provides a clear picture of soft tissues that don’t show up well on x-ray images.
An Echocardiography exam can be used to help diagnose issues related to the valves or muscle function of your heart.
Please choose from the list below to learn more about your specific exam:
An electrocardiogram or trans thoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is an ultrasound of your heart. This is a specialized test used to examine the valves and muscles.
This test can be considered part of routine screening in cancer patients.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing and refrain from wearing necklaces for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the exam.
The technologist will have you change into a gown from the waist up, including your bra, if applicable. They will apply 3 electrodes to the skin to monitor what your heart is doing electrically, and then some gel so that the ultrasound images can visualize what your heart is doing mechanically.
A standard test requires you laying on your left side and on your back, while taking images from the just to the left of your sternum, under your left breast, just below and above your ribs.
How long will it take?
Approximately 45 minutes.
After your appointment
A cardiologist will fax your report within 7 days to your ordering physician and family doctor (if applicable).
You may contact the ordering physician for the results.
Contrast Enhanced Echocardiography is the administration of Definity (an iodine free, gas based microbubble) to better outline the myocardium (heart muscle) for a variety of reasons, including checking for thrombus or confirming ejection fraction.
If you have had a contrast injection, the Cardiologists typically would insist that you always have contrast in future studies.
The test should be painless. The contrast agent used is not similar to x-ray dyes, and does not contain radioactive, human nor animal ingredients. The product is quickly eliminated from your body by regular breathing and it is undetectable after 10 minutes in most patients.
This test should be painless. The contrast agent used is not similar to x-ray dyes, and does not contain radioactive, human nor animal ingredients. The product is quickly eliminated from your by regular breathing and it is undetectable after 10 minutes in most patients.
Contrast is safe for the vast majority of people but if you feel some discomfort including a headache or back pain, please tell your stenographer or healthcare professional.
The contraindications to this exam would be a recent lithotripsy (kidney stone surgery) or an allergy to polyethylene glycol, which is a common ingredient in colonoscopy prep.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing and refrain from wearing necklaces for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
When you arrive at your appointment, an IV will be administered for the cardiologist by a nurse or trained technologist.
The technologist will have you change into a gown from the waist up, including your bra, if applicable. They will apply 3 electrodes to the skin to monitor what your heart is doing electrically, and then some gel so that the ultrasound images can visualize what your heart is doing mechanically.
A standard test requires you laying on your left side and on your back, while taking images from the just to the left of your sternum, under your left breast, just below and above your ribs.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
You will be required to wait for approximately 30 minutes in our waiting room so we can monitor you for mild side effects that affect less than 2% of patients.
These symptoms should only last for about 30 minutes.
Your cardiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
Trans Esophageal Echocardiogram (or TEE) is like an upper endoscopy procedure, but instead of a camera, there is a small ultrasound probe on the end.
The camera allows for up close imaging of your heart from a different angle than the regular Echo and is used in surgery while repairing valves, or holes in the atrial septum.
At SAH, the goal of a TEE would be to confirm or properly assess a patient who may qualify for a procedure so they do not have to unnecessarily leave the city.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Nothing for 12 hours prior to your appointment.
Before Your Exam/Test
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the exam.
The technologist will have you change into a gown from the waist up, including your bra, if applicable. They will apply 3 electrodes to the skin to monitor what your heart is doing electrically, and then some gel so that the ultrasound images can visualize what your heart is doing mechanically. A standard test requires you laying on your left side and on your back, while taking images from the just to the left of your sternum, under your left breast, just below and above your ribs.
How long will it take?
Approximately 2 hours.
After your appointment
You will be monitored to 2 hours post procedure in our ambulatory care department.
Within 7 days a formal report will be provided to your ordering physician and your family doctor (if applicable), who you may contact for the results.
An Agitated Saline Bubble Study is an addition to an Echocardiogram to better assess the Intra Atrial septum, which separates the Right and Left sides of your heart.
These are ordered in many cases where a suspected stroke has occurred and there is reason to believe the heart may be responsible.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing and refrain from wearing necklaces for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the exam.
When you arrive at your appointment, an IV will be administered for the cardiologist by a nurse or trained technologist.
The IV is inserted into an arm, preferably right side. The cardiologist will agitate some normal saline to inject to the IV, which will fill the right side of your heart only (unless there is a defect).
The technologist will have you change into a gown from the waist up, including your bra, if applicable. They will apply 3 electrodes to the skin to monitor what your heart is doing electrically, and then some gel so that the ultrasound images can visualize what your heart is doing mechanically.
A standard test requires you laying on your left side and on your back, while taking images from the just to the left of your sternum, under your left breast, just below and above your ribs.
How long will it take?
Approximately one hour.
After your appointment
Your IV is removed by the technologist and taped – then you are free to leave.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician via formal report within 7 days, but may choose to give you informal results at your appointment.
You may contact your ordering physician for your official results.
A stress echocardiogram (stress echo) is an imaging test that uses ultrasound to show how well your heart works during the stress of exercise. This test is used to diagnose the presence or absence of coronary artery disease.
An echocardiogram is performed at rest, then during low, moderate and peak levels of exercise using a treadmill.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
For six hours prior to your test: Do not consume anything with caffeine.
For two hours prior to your test: Do not eat, drink or smoke.
Take your usual medications unless otherwise directed by your physician. Bring all of your medications with you in the original bottles.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
Before Your Exam/Test
For 48 hours prior to your test, stop Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.
About your appointment
What to expect.
A technologist or doctor will explain the test to you, take a brief medical history, and answer any questions you may have. Your blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram (ECG) will be monitored before, during, and after the test.
You will be asked to remove all upper body clothing, put on a gown with the opening to the front, and lie down on an examination table.
Adhesive electrodes will be applied to your chest to monitor and record ECG signals. The sites on your chest will be cleaned with alcohol and shaved if necessary. A mild abrasion may also be used to ensure an interference-free and continuous ECG recording.
Some stress echo scans require the use of a substance called a contrast agent, which will require an IV inserted in your arm. The contrast agent helps to improve image quality throughout the test.
The sonographer will apply some gel to a small ultrasound probe, position it on the left side of your chest, and will take several resting images of your heart. In order to obtain good quality images, it is necessary to apply some pressure on your chest with the probe.
Your resting blood pressure, heart rate, and ECG will be recorded.
You will undergo a stress test. To do this, you will be asked to walk on a treadmill, with increasing slope and speed until a target heart rate is achieved. This usually takes about 10 minutes.
You will be monitored throughout the test. If a problem occurs, the doctor will stop the test right away. It is very important for you to tell the technologist if you experience any symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue.
Echo images of the heart will be recorded by the sonographer at specified times during exercise.
Your blood pressure, heart rate, and ECG will be monitored for 3 to 6 minutes after exercise.
The data will be reviewed by a cardiologist after the test is completed. A report will be sent to the doctor(s) involved in your care.
How long will it take?
The stress echo takes 60 to 75 minutes to complete.
If you are unable to walk on a treadmill, please inform the booking staff.
After your appointment
There are no restrictions after the stress echo.