Echocardiography

» Request a referral to a John C. Lincoln cardiac specialist.

Echocardiography is performed at both John C. Lincoln Hospitals. In this procedure, high-frequency radio waves, called “ultrasound,” help determine the size of a patient’s heart. Small pads with electrodes are placed on the patient’s chest, and an ultrasound transducer is moved across the chest to produce video images.

Some patients may undergo a “stress” echocardiogram. In this test, an echocardiogram is performed as described above, but the patient is also asked to walk on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bicycle until the heart beats rapidly. (If a patient is unable to exercise, he or she may be given a drug that simulates exercise by making your heart work harder.) A second echocardiogram is performed when exercise ends.

Comparing the “before” and “after” images can help a doctor determine whether a heart is receiving the blood it needs to meet its increased demand for oxygen during activity.

Transesophageal Echocardiography

If a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is required, the department in which it will be performed depends on an individual’s circumstances. TEEs are done through the hospitals’ Medical Imaging departments on an outpatient basis or in their Progressive Cardiac Care Units for inpatients. The test is also routinely performed during most heart surgeries.