Echocardiography is an invaluable tool in providing the doctor with important information about the following:
- Size of the chambers of the heart, including the dimension or volume of the cavity and the thickness of the walls. The appearance of the walls may also help identify certain types of heart disease that predominantly involve the heart muscle. In patients with long standing hypertension or high blood pressure, the test can determine the thickness and "stiffness" of the LV walls. When the LV pump function is reduced in patients with heart failure, the LV and RV tends to dilate or enlarge. Echocardiography can measure the severity of this enlargement. Serial studies performed on an annual basis can gauge the response of treatment.
- Pumping function of the heart can be assessed by echocardiography. One can tell if the pumping power of the heart is normal or reduced to a mild or severe degree. This measure is known as an ejection fraction or EF. A normal EF is around 55 to 65%. Numbers below 45% usually represent some decrease in the pumping strength of the heart, while numbers below 30 to 35% are representative of an important decrease.
There are no known risks from an external transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) test. There is some risk associated with the transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) test. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is an invasive procedure. Talk with your health care provider about risks associated with this test.