Department of Diagnostic Imaging
Location: Suite 026
Director: Kurt Meehan, R.T.
Appointments: 216-382-2853
Hours: Tuesday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
General Description
What to Expect
How to Prepare
About the Department of Diagnostic Imaging
Registration Form
Notice of Privacy Practices and Patient Rights
General Description
Echocardiography is a non-invasive test that uses sound waves to create moving images of the heart. It is more detailed than an x-ray image. It doesn't involve radiation, and there are no known risks associated with it. Echocardiography allows doctors to see the heart beating and the structure of the heart, which, in turn, allows them to evaluate the function of the heart muscle and its valves. It can help doctors evaluate 1) heart murmurs, 2) the pumping function of the heart, and 3) patients who have had heart attacks. It also is a very good screening test for heart disease in certain groups of patients. Pressures are also measured and valvular function is evaluated. Echocardiography is also known as Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE); Doppler Ultrasound of the heart; and Surface Echo.
What to Expect
You will be asked to disrobe from the waist up and will lie on your back on an exam table. Electrodes will be placed on your chest, and then gel will be spread on your chest. A transducer, an instrument that transmits high-frequency sound waves, will be placed on your ribs near the breast bone and directed toward your heart. You will feel a slight pressure on your chest from the transducer. You may be asked to breathe in a certain way or to roll over on your left side. The transducer will pick up the echoes from the sound waves and transmit them as electrical impulses. The echocardiography machine will convert the impulses into moving pictures of your heart. The test should take approximately 30 minutes. Your doctor will receive a written report approximately 48 hours after the scan.
How to Prepare
No preparation is required. However, please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment and bring the requisition provided by your physician.