The heart echo (in other words: echocardiography) is a non-invasive and completely painless method that uses ultrasound (ultrasound). Thanks to it, a specialist can evaluate the structure of a heart: the structure and function of the valves, heart movement, blood flow in the coronary vessels, atria and chambers. It can also measure the work of the heart chambers and their size. As well as diagnose potential heart defects or detect fluid in the pericardium.

There are three types of echocardiography:

• one-dimensional – allows you to see the heart only in one dimension,
• two-dimensional – allows you to see the heart in two dimensions, in motion and when stopped,
• Doppler – records blood flow in the heart cavities and blood vessels.

The indications for echocardiography include:

• ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease),
• inflammation of the heart muscle,
• congenital and acquired heart defects,
• hypertension,
• diseases of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathies),
• bacterial endocarditis,
• thromboembolism, heart rhythm disturbances,
• diseases of the blood vessels,
• Heart arythmia,
• cardio-pulmonary diseases (e.g. pulmonary embolism),
• disorders of the structure and function of the heart in the fetus.

The echo of the heart is recommended for people with any heart problems, such as rhythm problems, sounds and pain in the chest area.

The most common type of echocardiography performed is transthoracic echocardiography. It is a completely safe method that consists of applying a special gel to the patient’s skin and applying the device headonto the body (as in a standard ultrasound examination). Transmitted sound waves allow you to see the heart on the monitor. The examination takes a few minutes. There are no side effects of the study when using the transthoracic method. Same it is completely safe because ultrasonic waves do not have any negative effects on the body.

Transesophageal echocardiography

It is also possible to perform transesophageal echocardiography. In this case, the doctor will numb the back wall of the patient’s throat with a special spray, and then a special probe is introduced into oral cavity (reaching a depth of about 30–38 cm, in the vicinity of the heart muscle). Slight complications may occur with a transesophageal echo of the heart. They are natural symptoms such as feeling short of breath, pain or nausea. There are also slight bleeding, slow heart rate and problems with breathing. The decision on the type of echocardiography is made by the cardiologist after prior consultation with the patient.

We cordially invite you to the Cardiology Clinic, where our specialists deal with the exercise of this study and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of patients