Echocardiography is one of the most important diagnostic procedures for the heart. It is often referred to as ultrasound cardiography or a heart echo. Along with the electrocardiogram, this procedure has become an indispensable part of diagnostic testing. In addition, general practitioners and internists also value the wide range of possibilities offered by this examination method.
Below you will find further information as well as a selection of echocardiography specialists.
Echocardiography is a non-invasive ultrasound examination of the heart. This means that no surgical procedure is necessary to examine the heart. The doctor simply places a small ultrasound probe against the outside of the chest.
If more precise measurements are needed, the doctor guides the probe through the esophagus to the heart. To do this, the doctor uses a special endoscope with the probe attached to its tip. This procedure is called a transesophageal echocardiogram.
In a very short time, this procedure has become one of the most popular and effective diagnostic methods.
In clinical practice, several echocardiography techniques have become established for assessing the heart’s health.
Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the most common method. In this procedure, the doctor places the ultrasound probe on the front of the chest from the outside. The procedure is particularly appealing due to its simplicity and low cost.
This method already provides the doctor with a wealth of information about the patient’s condition. In particular, it delivers important data regarding
This enables the doctor to assess the heart’s function and overall health.
In addition, echocardiography can be used to create a three-dimensional image of the heart. For this purpose, the doctor uses a special probe that collects enough data to generate a three-dimensional representation of the organ. Doctors use this procedure primarily in cases of acute heart failure.
There are also what are known as color Doppler and Doppler echocardiography. Both methods are used to visualize blood flow. Doppler echocardiography provides a striking illustration of the entire blood circulation in the body. With color Doppler echocardiography, physicians also determine the direction of blood flow, which is indicated by different colors.
The use of sound waves at a specific frequency also allows for conclusions to be drawn about the blood’s flow velocity. In this way, specialists can detect both valve defects and a hole in the heart’s septum at an early stage.
An echocardiogram is a simple and cost-effective method for an initial screening of the heart for abnormalities © Семен Саливанчук | AdobeStock
Ultimately, in many cases, a stress echocardiogram is also performed. This is an echocardiogram performed while the patient is under physical stress. This results in what is known as a stress echocardiogram. It measures cardiac output during high physical exertion and thus allows for the detection of impaired blood flow.
The stress condition is often induced either by physical exertion on a stationary bike or by administering specific medications.
In some cases, the doctor also injects a contrast agent into a vein in the arm to better visualize blood flow in the images obtained.
Patients do not need to take any special precautions before a standard examination. During the echocardiography, the patient’s upper body is uncovered. In most cases, the upper body is slightly elevated and positioned on its side. This produces images of particularly high quality.
The attending physician then applies a contact gel to the upper body. The probe is then carefully moved across the entire chest with light pressure.
The lateral position allows for particularly high-quality echocardiography images © familylifestyle | AdobeStock
The device emits ultrasound waves into the body. The various tissues within the body reflect the sound waves in different ways. The ultrasound probe receives the reflections and uses the collected data to create a visual image. It displays the images immediately on a monitor so they can be evaluated right away.
In a transesophageal echocardiogram, a long tube is inserted into the patient’s mouth instead. It passes through the esophagus until it reaches the level of the heart.
To prevent injury, patients must actively swallow several times during the examination. Since this often triggers a strong gag reflex, sedatives are frequently administered after a few attempts. In this case, however, the patient must not drive a car, ride a motorcycle, or ride a bicycle for the entire day.
Before the transesophageal echocardiogram, the patient must fast—avoiding both solid and liquid foods—for at least four hours.
An ultrasound examination of the heart provides a wealth of information that facilitates the diagnosis of numerous heart diseases. These include, among others
In addition to these main applications, echocardiography is also used to diagnose coronary artery disease. It identifies all damaged areas of the heart. For this reason, this procedure is also routinely performed following a severe heart attack. In some cases, doctors may also order an echocardiogram following an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG).
However, this procedure has clear limitations. For example, it cannot be used to examine the coronary arteries. A cardiac catheterization is always necessary for that purpose.
The images produced by the echocardiogram provide only initial indications of impaired blood flow in the coronary arteries.
In the following video, you can see a beating heart on an echocardiogram.
A standard echocardiogram performed on the outside of the chest carries no risks whatsoever. Ultrasound waves do not expose the patient to radiation.
Furthermore, the examination is usually painless. Only frail and elderly patients may experience shortness of breath when lying on their side. For this reason, some doctors perform the examination with the patient lying on their back. However, this significantly reduces image quality.
Transesophageal echocardiography, on the other hand, is often associated with gag reflexes and leads to excessive salivation. Injury to the esophagus occurs only occasionally. However, after the injection of a contrast agent, the following symptoms usually occur:
In some cases, hearing and vision problems may also develop. Additionally, allergic reactions and other side effects may occur in some cases.
Every physician listed in the Leading Medicine Guide has attained the highest level of training and certification within their respective medical specialty society. Furthermore, we contacted this physician based, among other factors, on their case volume (surgeries, treatments, and therapies), which we determined by cross-referencing various publicly available sources. Following discussions with the selected physicians and the directors of the medical facilities, as well as a subsequent internal review, they were admitted to the Leading Medicine Guide.
The quality assurance of the Leading Medicine Guide is further ensured by 8 admission criteria. Each member must meet at least 6 of them:
