Exercise (stress) Echocardiogram

Exercise (stress) Echocardiogram
The initial portion of an exercise echo is similar to the basic echo procedure described above. After the resting echo images have been obtained, you will begin to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. You will exercise until a target heart rate (determined by the physician based on your age and physical condition) has been reached, or until you are unable to continue exercising due to chest pain, leg pain, dizziness, severe shortness of breath, or severe fatigue. 

Once the target heart rate has been reached, you will continue to exercise for a minute or so more. Then you will lie down on the table or bed and the echo procedure will be repeated. The physician will compare the resting echo with the one done immediately after exercise. Once all the images have been taken, the technician will wipe the gel from your chest, remove the EKG electrode pads, and assist you to dress, if necessary.

Once the procedure has been completed, you will be able to leave and return to your previous activities, unless your physician instructs you differently. The procedure usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to perform. However, factors such as schedule delays, emergencies, and other factors may delay the start of your procedure or prolong the length of it.

Some reasons for having an exercise echocardiography include, but are not limited, the following: 

• to assess limits for safe exercise in patients who are entering a cardiac rehabilitation program and/or those who are recovering from a cardiac event such as heart attack or heart surgery
  
  

• to assess leg pain with exercise (also called intermittent claudication) in patients with suspected occlusion in the legs' circulatory system
  
  

• to assess blood pressure reaction during exercise
  
  

• to assess stress or exercise tolerance in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease

A transducer (like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on your chest at certain locations and angles, the ultrasonic sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues, where the waves echo off of the heart structures. The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the heart walls and valves.