Echocardiography

What it is

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It is a frequently used test to assess the structure and function of the heart in a wide range of cardiac conditions.

Key parts of the assessment of an echocardiogram include:

• measuring left ventricular ejection fraction (pump function)
• assessing for any variation in wall motion in the left ventricle which can suggest problems with blood flow through the coronary arteries
• measuring how the heart relaxes and fills
• assessing all heart valves to detect problems like stenosis (narrowed valves) or regurgitation (leaky valves)
• assessing the right ventricle (pump on the right side of the heart)
• measuring the size of the aorta (main artery taking blood from the heart to the body)
• evidence of shunting (abnormal connections between chambers)

An echocardiogram is performed lying on your left side with several electrodes attached to monitor your heart rhythm. The probe is applied to several different positions on the chest with some ultrasound gel. It is performed by a sonographer and takes around half an hour. Some patients will need repeat echocardiograms to monitor their heart condition over time.

Our fully accredited service offers echocardiograms at NCN Health (Numurkah).

Watch this video on this page to see what’s involved when having an echocardiogram.