How Does An Echocardiogram Work?
An echocardiogram works very much like sonar. Ultrasound waves are transmitted into the chest and the reflection of these waves off the various parts of the heart is analyzed by sophisticated equipment. A transducer, which is a small microphone-like device, is held against the chest. The transducer sends and receives the ultrasound waves. By moving the transducer to various positions on the chest, different structures of the heart may be analyzed. A computer assembles the reflected ultrasound waves to create an image of the heart. These images appear on a television screen. The images may be recorded on videotape or printed on paper for review by the cardiologist. An echocardiogram study typically involves three different techniques. The most basic technique, called M-mode echo, produces an image that appears as a tracing than an actual heart. The exact size of the heart chambers may be measured using the M-mode echo technique. Two-dimensional (2-D) echo shows the actual shape and moti
