Stress Echocardiogram

Stress Echocardiogram: is designed to detect blockages of the heart arteries (to detect for coronary artery disease). Your doctor would typically send you for this test if you are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms while exercising. This test would also be beneficial for patients with risk factors for coronary artery disease (such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of coronary artery disease, and smoking) even if you are not currently symptomatic.

Preparation: In preparation for a stress echocardiogram, please do not eat for four hours before your test. Wear comfortable exercise clothes. Please refer to the list of medicines that should be held before the test (click here). If any of these instructions are not clear to you, please call our office to clarify.

Procedure: The first part of the test is a full echocardiogram with color doppler. A certified echo technician will take sonographic pictures of your heart measuring the size of the chambers, analyzing its ability to function and evaluating for dysfunction of the heart valve. A transducer will be moved around your chest to view your heart from various areas.

The second part of the test requires that you change into exercise clothes. A medical assistant will apply sticky electrodes to your chest, arms, and legs. This may require shaving of a man’s chest. These electrodes allow us to monitor your electrocardiogram during exercise. The doctor will be monitoring for subtle changes in this electrocardiogram. One of our cardiologists will be in the room for the duration of the test (this time will vary between different patients). At the time that you and the cardiologist feel that you have reached your peak exercise, the treadmill belt will be quickly stopped and you must quickly move on to the examination table. Repeat sonographic images will be taken. The cardiologist will compare the function of your heart during rest with the function of your heart at peak exercise. You will then be monitored during a brief cool down period. Your doctor will receive a report of your test the following day. Please allow 60 minutes for the entire visit. If it is your first visit to our facility we ask to arrive 15 minutes before to your appointment to complete paper work.