Question:
What is an echocardiogram?

I go in the morning to have an echocardiogram. What is it and what do they do. Is it painful? I need it because I took Phen-Fen for a while and am hoping everything will be fine so I go go through with my surgery. Thanks!    — Melissa T. (posted on September 18, 2001)

September 18, 2001
Hi, The echocardiogram is not painful. It is a cross between an ultrasound and an EKG. Nothing is injected into you. It takes approximately 15 minutes. Sometimes if you are heavy in the chest as I was they have to push around the area to get pictures of the heart and hear the heart..if you have had an ultrasound they use the same type of instrument with a rounded ball on the end. I hope this helps. Karen
   — Karen Renee