Cardiac testing
Cardiac ultrasound ("echo") is an imaging technique that bounces sound waves through the chest to view the chambers, walls, and valves inside your heart. This test is completely safe and uses ultrasound to image your heart in two dimensions. An echo is useful in confirming a diagnosis. Evaluation of the heart muscle is done routinely to note changes over the years and to guide medical therapy. Echo is also helpful in patients that have sustained a heart attack to see how much damage has been done and what the long term outcome will be. This test usually takes 45-60 minutes to perform.