St Vincents Private Hospitals

An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound scan that helps examine how well your heart is working. The test does not use any radiation. Instead, high frequency sound waves create moving images which are interpreted and reviewed by your doctor. An echocardiogram is different to an electrocardiogram (ECG) which measures your heart’s electrical activity. 

The echocardiogram images show how your blood moves through your heart chamber and heart valves, so that your doctor can understand more about how your heart is functioning. It can help diagnose or monitor many types of heart condition such as cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, inflammation, and signs of heart failure.

The test can take up to one hour and there are different types of echocardiograms available depending on your specific condition. These include:

Transthoracic echocardiogram – Also known as a heart ultrasound, this non-invasive test is the most common type of echocardiogram used to examine the function of the heart and valves. Images are created by placing a probe on your left chest wall.

Transesophageal echocardiogram – Inserting a tube inside the oesophagus enables more detailed images from your heart. This is performed while you are asleep using a general anaesthetic.