Echocardiography

Vascular Cardiology located in Yonkers, Brewster, Bronx and Washington Heights, NY

Diagnosing heart and blood vessel disorders early is the best way to avoid a heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and other life-threatening complications. At Jain Cardiovascular in Brewster and Yonkers, New York, the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan and the Bedford Park neighborhood in the Bronx in New York City, board-certified endovascular and interventional cardiologist Sachin Kumar Amruthlal Jain, MD, FACC, RPVI, uses innovative echocardiography to detect and effectively manage heart conditions. Schedule an evaluation by phone or online today.

Echocardiography Q & A

What is echocardiography?

Echocardiography is a type of ultrasound used to evaluate the heart’s structure and function. It’s a painless treatment that diagnoses common conditions that may cause severe complications when left untreated. Many forms of echocardiography are noninvasive. They use high-frequency sound waves to evaluate the heart’s size, wall thickness, heartbeat, and blood flow.

What can echocardiography assess?

Dr. Jain may suggest you undergo echocardiography if you have or are at risk of developing:

Heart disease
Heart abnormalities
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High cholesterol
Other heart disease risk factors

Echocardiography also helps determine the effectiveness of a current heart disease treatment plan.

How should I prepare for echocardiography?

Follow Dr. Jain’s instructions to prepare for an echocardiogram. Depending on the type you’re scheduled for, he may suggest arranging for someone to drive you home after the procedure or stopping certain medications. Most of the time, however, you can drink and eat as usual.

What happens during echocardiography?

Before echocardiography, you remove upper body clothing and change into a gown. Your specialist attaches patches to your chest, and sometimes your legs, so they can get an electrocardiogram (EKG) with the echocardiogram.

Transthoracic echocardiogram

During a standard echocardiogram (transthoracic echocardiogram), your specialist applies gel on a transducer and presses it firmly against your skin. They move it over your chest to create internal images of your heart. They may ask you to breathe a certain way or move into various positions.

Transesophageal echocardiogram

If you require a transesophageal echocardiogram, you can receive a sedative to help you relax, oxygen, and spray or gel to numb your throat. Your specialist guides a catheter into your mouth, throat, and esophagus, and an ultrasound device takes pictures of your heart.

Stress echocardiogram

Stress echocardiograms are like transthoracic echocardiograms, but you complete this test both before and after exercise. You might walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike as part of a stress echocardiogram.

What should I expect after echocardiography?

Echocardiograms often last less than an hour. Afterward, you can rest. If you haven’t received a sedative, you can resume typical daily activities.

Dr. Jain will review the images of your heart and discuss the results to determine if you need further diagnostic testing, watchful waiting, or treatment for a heart or blood vessel condition.

Schedule an appointment at Jain Cardiovascular by phone or online today to determine if you’re a candidate for echocardiography.