Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is a safe, painless ultrasound scan of the heart. It produces moving images of the heart's chambers, valves and walls and uses Doppler to show blood flow — helping cardiologists assess how well the heart pumps and detect valve disease, heart failure and many other conditions.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to build a live, moving picture of the heart. It measures the size of the heart chambers, the thickness and movement of the walls, how well the valves open and close, and — with Doppler — the direction and speed of blood flow. The pumping strength (ejection fraction) is a key result. Common types include the standard transthoracic echo (probe on the chest), the transesophageal echo (TEE, a thin probe passed into the food pipe for clearer images, done under sedation) and the stress echo (imaging before and after exercise or medication).
International patients are supported end to end: a dedicated coordinator arranges the scan, our cardiologists can give a second-opinion reading of an echo done in your home country, and you receive a transparent, itemized cost estimate before you travel.
Who is a candidate?
- Symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, palpitations or swelling of the legs
- A heart murmur or suspected valve disease
- Suspected or known heart failure (to measure pumping function)
- Follow-up after a heart attack or heart surgery
- Assessment before non-cardiac surgery or certain treatments
- Monitoring of a known heart condition over time
What happens
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Preparation
For a standard transthoracic echo, no special preparation is needed. For a transesophageal echo (TEE) you will be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours, as light sedation is used.
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During the scan
You lie on your side while a small amount of gel and a hand-held probe are moved across the chest; you may hear the 'whoosh' of blood flow on Doppler. A TEE uses a thin probe passed into the food pipe under sedation; a stress echo adds imaging after exercise or medication.
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Afterwards & results
You can resume normal activity immediately after a standard echo (a short rest after sedation for a TEE). A cardiologist interprets the images and discusses what they mean for your care, often the same day.
Benefits
- No radiation and no injections for a standard echo
- Painless and non-invasive
- Real-time view of the heart's structure and function
- Measures pumping strength and valve function precisely
- Guides decisions on medication, intervention or surgery
Risks & considerations
- A standard transthoracic echo is essentially risk-free
- TEE: temporary throat discomfort and the usual effects of light sedation
- Stress echo: symptoms such as breathlessness or chest discomfort can occur, but are closely monitored throughout
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is delivered by our Heart Center.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Echocardiogram — frequently asked questions
No. A standard echo is completely painless — it uses sound waves and a probe moved over the chest, with no needles or radiation.
An ECG records the heart's electrical activity (its rhythm), while an echocardiogram is an ultrasound that shows the heart's structure and how well it pumps. They are complementary and often done together.
The scan usually takes 20–45 minutes. A cardiologist reviews the images and explains the findings, frequently on the same day.
Yes. Share your existing echo report and images and our cardiologists can give you a remote second opinion before you decide on treatment or travel.
Your coordinator prepares a transparent, itemized estimate based on the type of echo and any related tests, before you commit — there are no hidden charges.
No preparation is needed for a standard echo. For a transesophageal echo you will be asked to fast for a few hours because light sedation is used.
Related treatments
Considering echocardiogram?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.