When you have an echocardiogram in Osseo, sound waves  are used to produce images of your heart. This commonly used test allows your doctor to see you heart beating and pumping blood. Your doctor can use the images from an echocardiogram to identify heart disease. We're proud that our echocardiography lab is one of a select group of accredited laboratories in the entire nation.

DURING AN ECHOCARDIOGRAM

You will lie on your back on an exam table and the technician will attach sticky electrodes to your body to detect and conduct the electrical currents of your heart. The technician will move a small plastic device, called a transducer, back and forth over your chest. The sound waves create images of your heart on a monitor, which are recorded for your doctor to review. Most echocardiograms take less than one hour.

AFTER AN ECHOCARDIOGRAM

After the exam, you can return to your normal routine. In some cases, you may be asked to wait for a short time before leaving to ensure that you feel well after the exam.

Learn more about heart care on our Cardiology page.