Echocardiogram in Hyderabad — Heart Ultrasound at Yashoda Hospitals, Hitech City
An echocardiogram — also called a cardiac echo or 2D echo — is the most important non-invasive cardiac investigation available. Using high-frequency ultrasound waves, it produces real-time moving images of the heart's chambers, valves, walls, and blood flow — all without radiation, injections, or discomfort. At Yashoda Hospitals, Hitech City, echocardiography is an integral part of Dr. Bhishma Chowdary's cardiac assessment programme for patients from Hitech City, Hitech City, Manikonda, Kondapur, Madhapur, and across Hyderabad.
At a glance
| What it is | Ultrasound imaging of the heart — real-time assessment of structure and function |
| Also known as | Echo, 2D Echo, Cardiac Echo, Heart Scan, Echocardiography |
| Types | TTE (transthoracic), TOE/TEE (transoesophageal), Stress echo, 3D echo |
| Duration | 20 to 45 minutes depending on type |
| Radiation | None — uses ultrasound only |
| Fasting required | No for standard TTE. Yes for TOE (6 hours) and stress echo (4 hours). |
| Available at | Yashoda Hospitals, Hitech City — serving Hitech City, Manikonda, Kondapur, Madhapur, Hyderabad |
| Performed by | Dr. Bhishma Chowdary, DM Cardiology — advanced echocardiography including strain imaging and TOE |
Types of echocardiogram available in Hyderabad
1. Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) — Standard 2D Echo
The most common type. A handheld ultrasound probe (transducer) is placed on the chest wall at different positions — parasternal, apical, subcostal. Sound waves pass through the chest wall and image the heart. The examination includes 2D and 3D imaging, colour Doppler (blood flow visualisation), spectral Doppler (blood velocity measurements), and in advanced labs, speckle-tracking strain imaging (GLS — global longitudinal strain).
A standard TTE assesses: ejection fraction (heart pumping strength), wall motion, valve anatomy and function, chamber dimensions, pericardial effusion, aortic root dimensions, and pulmonary artery pressures.
2. Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TOE / TEE)
A thin flexible probe is passed through the mouth and oesophagus — positioning the ultrasound transducer directly behind the heart, just millimetres from the left atrium. This produces far superior images to TTE, particularly of the mitral valve, left atrial appendage, aortic valve, and ascending aorta. TOE requires throat anaesthetic spray and conscious sedation — you are relaxed but not under general anaesthesia.
TOE is used for: pre-procedure assessment before ASD closure, TAVR, MitraClip, and cardioversion; evaluation of mitral valve anatomy for repair vs replacement; detection of left atrial appendage thrombus in AF patients; assessment of prosthetic valve endocarditis; and intraprocedural guidance during structural heart interventions.
3. Stress Echocardiogram
A standard resting echo is performed, then the heart is stressed — either by exercise on a treadmill or by dobutamine infusion — and echo images are recorded at peak stress. Wall motion abnormalities developing during stress indicate ischaemia from coronary artery disease. Stress echo is used when a stress ECG (TMT) is equivocal, in patients with abnormal resting ECG, and in women where TMT is less reliable.
4. 3D Echocardiogram and Speckle Tracking (GLS)
Advanced techniques available at Yashoda Hospitals: 3D echo provides volumetric assessment of cardiac chambers with higher accuracy than 2D measurements. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) — speckle tracking analysis — detects subclinical myocardial dysfunction before the ejection fraction falls, particularly valuable in monitoring patients on chemotherapy and in cardiomyopathy diagnosis.