Echocardiogram

Get an echocardiogram by the experienced heart and vascular team at University Health to diagnose your heart condition.

Echocardiograms use sound waves to take pictures of your heart. We place sticky patches called electrodes on your chest to monitor your heart rhythm. Then, we use an ultrasound transducer to capture images of your heart. This allows your doctor to see your heart in motion and analyze its size, shape and function. This process is noninvasive, meaning nothing pierces your skin.

Transthoracic Echocardiogram

During a transthoracic echocardiogram, your doctor will use an ultrasound probe on your chest to take pictures of your heart. This does not expose you to any radiation, and the sound waves create pictures of the heart in real-time. We can evaluate all the structures of the heart, including the heart valves.

Transesophageal Echocardiogram

During a transesophageal echocardiogram, sound waves bounce off your heart to create an image. Your doctor will insert a long, thin, flexible tube through your mouth and down your esophagus. A tiny transducer at the tip of the probe sends and records the sound waves.

This test detects a number of conditions, such as:

• Blood clots inside the heart
• Function of heart valves, including artificial ones
• Holes between the chambers of the heart, dissection or tear in the lining of the aorta
• Infections of the heart valves