An echocardiogram (ECG) "echo scan" examines the heart and adjacent blood arteries. It's an ultrasound scan in which a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that bounce off different regions of the body, creating echoes.
It can help diagnose and monitor certain heart conditions by checking the structure of the heart and surrounding blood vessels while analyzing how blood flows through them and assessing the pumping chambers of the heart.
This procedure can help detect:
• Any damage caused by a heart attack
• Heart failure
• Congenital heart disease
• Problems with the heart valves
• Cardiomyopathy