Echocardiogram

Echocardiography makes use of sound waves to create pictures of the heart. This painless and non-invasive procedure gives comprehensive information about the size and shape of the heart and how well the heart's chambers and valves are working. Even infants and children can undergo an Echo test to detect heart problems. The test also detects areas of heart muscle that aren’t contracting normally because of reduced blood flow or injury from an earlier heart attack. Also, Doppler ultrasound which is a type of echo depicts how well blood flows through the chambers and valves of the heart.

The Echo can also detect likely blood clots inside the heart, fluid buildup in the pericardium (the sac around the heart), and complications with the aorta.