What to Expect Before, During, and After Your Echocardiogram

While all of the components of your body must work together well, some parts play a more critical role than others. Take your heart as an example. If your heart isn’t working properly, giving it the support it needs becomes your top priority. 

That, of course, means figuring out what your heart requires to work the way it should. So, how do you figure that out?

In many cases, that might mean getting an echocardiogram. Fortunately, David Bolon, MD, offers these ultrasound tests right here at Manhattan Integrative Cardiovascular in Midtown East Manhattan, New York City. 

If Dr. Bolon or another doctor recommends an echocardiogram, you might be wondering what to expect. Here’s a look at what you need to know before, during, and after your appointment. 

Preparing is easy

Fortunately, you don’t need to do anything specific other than show up for your echocardiogram. There’s no need to fast beforehand or make any other adjustments. 

We do have one tip, though. Wear clothes that are easy to change out of so we can properly prep your chest. We’ll give you a hospital gown to wear. 

The echocardiogram is painless

The echocardiogram uses ultrasound waves — the same ones used to allow pregnant women to see their babies — to take a literal look at your heart. 

To start, one of our technicians places small, sticky disks on your chest. These are called electrodes and they connect to the echocardiogram machine. Then, we put a gel on your chest so the sound waves can pass through your skin more easily. 

Finally, we use a transducer to send the ultrasound waves into your chest. You won’t feel any pain — or even discomfort — during the echocardiogram. It usually takes somewhere between 30–60 minutes. 

Instead, you can relax as the sound waves go to work. The way they bounce back allows us to get an image of your heart. Dr. Bolon uses that image to see how the valves in your heart are working, look at the way blood flows through your heart chambers, and evaluate your heart’s contractions. 

There’s no downtime

You can continue with your day right after your appointment. There’s no recovery period, nor any side effects.

Instead, you should leave feeling more informed. Dr. Bolon uses what he sees on the echocardiogram to tailor a treatment strategy to support your heart health. 

Long story short, an echocardiogram is a painless, no-prep, no-downtime way to learn a lot about what’s going on with your heart. To schedule yours, call (716) 303-4738 or book your appointment online today.