An echocardiogram — “echo” for short — uses ultrasound to show your heart moving. It tells us how strongly the heart pumps, how the valves open and close and whether the walls are thickened.
Step by step
- You lie on your left side on a couch
- Small stickers are placed on your chest to record your heart rhythm
- A probe with cool gel moves over your chest
- The scan takes about 20 to 30 minutes
Good to know
- There are no needles and no radiation
- You do not need to fast
- You can drive and go back to work straight after
- The report is usually ready the same day
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