What is an Echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound that uses sound waves to produce live images of your heart. Echo is a graphic outline of your heart’s movement using ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves) from a hand-held wand placed on your chest to take pictures of your heart’s valves and chambers. This helps the health provider to evaluate the pumping action of your heart. It also helps doctors to see how your heart muscles, chambers, and valves are functioning.
Why is an Echocardiogram Important?
An echocardiogram can:
- Detects structural abnormalities.
- Detect heart chambers and valve diseases.
- Identify congenital heart abnormalities.
- Assess heart muscle performance.
- Diagnose conditions related to heart failure.
- Monitors blood flow.
- Evaluate fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion).
- Monitor heart conditions following an injury or surgery.
- Essential pre-surgical tool to assess cardiac risk.
What are the Different Types of Echocardiogram?
There are several types of echocardiograms. Each one offers unique benefits in diagnosing and managing heart disease. They include:
- Transthoracic (TTE) echocardiogram.
- Transesophageal (TEE) echocardiogram.
- Exercise stress echocardiogram.
What Techniques are Used in Echocardiography?
Several techniques can be used to create pictures of your heart. The best technique depends on your specific condition and what your provider needs to see. These techniques include:
Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound: This approach is used most often. It produces 2D images that appear as “slices” on the computer screen. Traditionally, these slices could be “stacked” to build a 3D structure.
Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound: Advances in technology have made 3D imaging more efficient and useful. New 3D techniques show different aspects of your heart, including how well it pumps blood, with greater accuracy. Using 3D also allows your sonographer to see parts of your heart from different angles.
Doppler ultrasound: This technique shows how fast your blood flows, and also in what direction.
Color Doppler ultrasound: This technique also shows your blood flow, but it uses different colors to highlight the different directions of flow.
Strain imaging: This approach shows changes in how your heart muscle moves. It can catch early signs of some heart disease.
Contrast imaging: Your provider injects a substance called a contrast agent into one of your veins. The substance is visible in the images and can help show details of your heart. Some people experience an allergic reaction to the contrast agent, but reactions are generally mild.
What does an echocardiogram show?
An echocardiogram can detect many different types of heart disease.
These include:
- Congenital heart disease, which you’re born with.
- Cardiomyopathy, which affects your heart muscle.
- Infective endocarditis, which is an infection in your heart’s chambers or valves.
- Pericardial disease, which affects the two-layered sac that covers the outer surface of your heart.
- Valve disease, which affects the “doors” that connect the chambers of your heart.
An echo can also show changes in your heart that could indicate:
- Aortic aneurysm.
- Blood clots.
- A cardiac tumor.
Who Should Consider an Echocardiogram?
- Patients with high blood pressure, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
- Those with a history of heart disease, stroke, or vascular conditions.
- Individuals with abnormal ECG or murmurs.
- Personal injury patients requiring cardiac clearance or evaluation after trauma.
- Patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluations.
Benefits of Portable Echocardiogram
- In-Home Convenience: Avoid transportation hassle and long wait times.
- Comfort: Ideal for elderly, injured, or medically fragile patients.
- Rapid Turnaround: Results are quickly interpreted by board-certified cardiologists.
- Safe: No radiation exposure.
Who Can Benefit?
Portable echocardiogram is ideal for:
- Hospitals, Emergency Rooms and Medical Clinics.
- Adult day-care facilities.
- Home-bound or elderly patients.
- Assisted living and nursing home residents.
- Correctional & confinement facilities.
How Does It Work?
- Scheduling: Your healthcare provider arranges the test.
- On-Site Testing: A certified cardiac sonographer performs the test at your location.
- Interpretation: Results are reviewed by a licensed cardiologist.
- Report Delivery: Results are shared securely with your healthcare provider.
Insurance & Billing
We work with:
- Major insurance plans: Medicare, Medicaid, BCBS, TCPH, etc.
- Worker comp.
- VA plans.
- Letter of protection (LOP).
Schedule an Echocardiogram
- Available 7 days a week with flexible scheduling.
- Book through your healthcare provider or directly with us.
- Contact Us Today at (844) 963-1574
- Serving Texas Areas