Echocardiogram at a glance
| What is examined | Heart muscle, heart valves, heart chambers and blood flow through the heart |
|---|---|
| Method | Echocardiography with colour Doppler |
| What it reveals | Congenital and acquired heart defects and the extent of damage |
| Pain | Painless and simple examination |
| Preparation | Not needed |
What does an echocardiogram involve?
Ultrasound An echocardiogram (echocardiography, heart ultrasound) is a diagnostic procedure used to assess heart health and represents the gold standard in detecting congenital or acquired heart defects. This type of examination provides valuable information on the morphology and function of the heart muscle, heart valves, dimensions of the cardiac chambers, and the velocity of blood flow through the heart and major blood vessels. The colour-Doppler technique enables a visual display of blood flow through the cardiac chambers and blood vessels, making the assessment of the condition and degree of damage significantly more precise.
You can view the prices of ultrasound and Doppler scans in the price list for rheumatology, physical therapy and ultrasound.
Echocardiogram and colour Doppler of the heart
When is an echocardiogram performed?
Echocardiography with colour Doppler is essential:
- in patients with suspected or already diagnosed cardiovascular disease (irregular or rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, chest pain,
- rapid fatigue, episodes of loss of consciousness, in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, diabetics)
- preventively in people with high family or personal risk factors for cardiovascular disease (elevated blood lipids, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, etc.)
- when assessing a patient's fitness for surgery.
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How is an echocardiogram performed?
The examination is performed by a specially trained doctor with particular experience in echocardiography. It is carried out using a probe that is placed and moved across the anterior chest wall, with a small amount of gel previously applied to it. This allows the reflected sound waves to create an image of your heart and heart valves on the ultrasound monitor. The examination is painless, simple and requires no special preparation. For some patients, the examination may be uncomfortable due to the application of the gel or the pressure of the probe used to carry out the test (pressure is necessary for good visualisation). The doctor will ask the patient to remain completely still during the examination so that it can be carried out without interruption.
