Echocardiography

Echocardiography

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It shows the chambers, the valves, and how well the heart is pumping, without radiation and without discomfort.

What it tells us

• Pumping strength — the ejection fraction that guides treatment for heart failure.
• Valve function — narrowing or leaking that may explain a murmur.
• Structural changes — thickened walls or enlarged chambers from long-standing high blood pressure.

The study is performed in our cardiac testing suite and read by our cardiologists, so results are usually discussed with you rather than mailed weeks later.