An echocardiogram (echo) is a special ultrasound test that uses sound waves to take pictures of your heart. High frequency sound waves, which are beyond the range of human hearing, are directed toward the heart and bounce back creating an echo. A computer translates these echoes into a picture. A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is performed by going through your esophagus, which is the muscular tube through which food passes to your stomach.

What does it tell the doctor?
A doctor uses this test to look for heart valve disease, congenital defects (abnormalities including birth defects), possible tumors or blood clots within the heart.

What happens before the test?
There are a few instructions you should follow before having this test.

• Do not eat or drink anything eight hours before your test.
• Take your medication with small sips of water.
• If you take insulin or a blood thinner, check with your doctor to decide whether your dose needs to be changed.
• Be prepared to have someone drive you home after the test.

What will I experience?
A medical professional will start an intravenous line (IV) so that medications can be injected directly into your blood system. Then you will be connected to a heart monitor, an automatic blood pressure cuff, and a monitor to check the amount of oxygen in your blood.

Your throat will be sprayed with a medication to numb it, and another medication will be given through your IV to make you sleepy. You will not be aware of what is going on but you will still be able to breathe on your own. While you are asleep, the TEE probe (a long and flexible instrument with an ultrasound sensor at the tip of it) will be passed through your mouth into your esophagus to take pictures of your heart. A TEE test usually takes 7-15 minutes after the insertion of the probe.