Echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound)

One of a full range of diagnostic tests available at the Pilla Heart Center, echocardiography evaluates heart valves, heart size and heart muscle function.

Each study using this technology, called an echocardiogram, takes about 20 to 25 minutes in a quiet room. High-frequency sound waves create images of the heart valves opening and closing, showing how the blood flows through the heart chambers. Heart size and efficiency can also be evaluated.  

Echocardiography tests include:

• Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) – This non-invasive test uses color-flow Doppler cardiac ultrasound to create a moving picture of the heart and its functioning. The picture is much more detailed than an x-ray image and involves no radiation exposure.

• Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) – A highly detailed image is produced by using an ultrasound probe in the esophagus, behind the heart, to identify valve disease or blood clots. This test is conducted under sedation.

For expertise on echocardiography, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease, Blank Vascular Center, Heart Rhythm Center, and Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.