Echocardiogram Specialist

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram is a common radiological test that is used to detect problems with your heart. The test creates images of your heart using sound waves. When you have an echocardiogram, the doctor views the chambers of your heart as well as the heart valves and walls and all the blood vessels leading to and away from your heart.

What does an echocardiogram measure?

The radiologists and technicians at Diagnostic Imaging of Milford use an echocardiogram to measure your heart’s structure and performance. Specifically, an echocardiogram shows heart size, pumping strength, indications of heart damage, problems with the heart valves, and heart defects.

Each piece of information provides more insight into your specific heart issue and possible treatments.

Heart size

An enlarged heart or thicker-than-usual heart walls can indicate damaged or weakened heart valves or high blood pressure.

Pumping strength

By measuring the amount of blood pumped out of a filled ventricle or the total volume of blood your heart pumps, the doctors at Diagnostic Imaging of Milford can determine if your heart is pumping enough blood to maintain your body’s needs. If it isn’t, then you can develop heart failure.

Indications of heart damage

If your heart muscle was damaged by a heart attack, it can’t help in the normal process of pumping blood. If the echocardiogram detects damage, then you may have coronary disease.

Problems with the heart values

If your heart valves don’t open and close adequately when your heart beats, then your blood can leak backward or your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body.

Heart defects

An echocardiogram can reveal problems with your heart chambers or issues such as blockages in the pathways between your heart and your blood vessels.  

What happens during an echocardiogram?

Most echocardiograms take just under an hour and require no preparation. You undress from the waist up and lie on an exam table. Next, the technician sticks electrodes to your body to record your heart’s electrical currents. Then the technician applies a special gel to your body so that a special plastic device called a transducer can easily glide across your chest. The technician moves the device back and forth. The sound waves produced create the images of your heart on a monitor.