Ultrasound for the Heart

What is an Echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram (echo for short) uses high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create a movie of the heart hard at work. A standard echocardiogram provides information about the size, shape and motion of your heart muscle. It also shows how the heart valves are working and how blood flows through your heart.

Our Echocardiography Lab

The Echocardiography Laboratory at Medical College of Georgia is a technologically-advanced full-service laboratory dedicated to outstanding clinical service, research and education. In addition to conventional echocardiography, we now offer state-of-the-art 3D imaging. The laboratory is completely digital, allowing physician access all echocardiographic images.  All of the echocardiographic sonographers have specialized training and experience in echocardiography. The laboratory has received full accreditation by the ICAEL since 2006. 

Types of Echocardiography

There are variations of an echocardiogram that are done to provide your doctor different types of information, including:

• Transthoracic echocardiograms: performed from outside of the chest wall (standard echocardiogram)
• Exercise stress and dobutamine echocardiograms: stress testing combined with ultrasound imaging
• Transesophageal Echocardiograms (TEE): performed from the esophagus; allows for a closer look at the heart structures
• Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE): ultrasound of the heart performed by placing a catheter inside of the blood vessel and is used to monitor the heart during invasive procedures. Intracadiac echocardiography at MCG is being used to help electrophysiologists treat complex arrhythmias.
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), which produces ultrasound images of the inside of heart arteries. It is used in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.