What Is an
Echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram (ECHO or 2D echo) is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart. A probe with gel is moved over the chest to show the heart chambers, valves and blood flow in real time. It is painless, uses no radiation and helps diagnose heart failure, valve disease, heart muscle damage and congenital heart defects.
During an echo, high-frequency sound waves bounce off the heart and are turned into live images on a screen. Doppler adds colour and measurements of blood flow, showing leaking or narrowed valves and the pressures inside the heart.
Because it is quick, safe and widely available, the echocardiogram is one of the most frequently used heart tests — from routine health checks to decisions about angioplasty, valve surgery or TAVI.
At KG Heart Center, echocardiograms are performed and interpreted by the cardiology team, and are integrated into the cardiology OPD so you can often have your echo and consultation on the same visit.
- No radiation
- No needles for standard echo
- About 30–45 minutes
- No fasting for TTE
- Adults & children
- Read by cardiologists
When Do Doctors
Order an ECHO?
An echo is also used after a heart attack, to monitor heart failure and valve disease over time, before major surgery, during pregnancy when heart disease is suspected, in people with a strong family history of heart disease, and as part of a master health checkup.
Types of Echocardiogram
at KG Hospital
2D Echo & Doppler (TTE)
The standard transthoracic echo, done over the chest. Shows the chambers, valves, ejection fraction and blood flow. Most patients need only this.
Most common3D Echocardiography
Real-time three-dimensional images that show valve shape and heart volumes more accurately — useful for planning valve repair.
AdvancedStress Echo
Echo images taken before and after exercise — or with medicine for people who cannot exercise — to reveal heart muscle that is short of blood.
ExerciseTransoesophageal Echo (TEE)
A thin probe passed into the food pipe under sedation gives very clear close-up views of valves, clots and holes behind the heart.
DetailedPaediatric Echo
Echo for babies and children to detect and follow congenital heart defects, done in a child-friendly way with the paediatrics team.
ChildrenIntra-operative TOE
Used by cardiac anaesthesiologists during heart surgery to check valve repairs and heart function in real time.
SurgeryTTE vs Stress Echo
vs TEE
| Factor | 2D Echo (TTE) | Stress Echo | TEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it’s done | Probe on the chest | Echo before & after exercise or medicine | Probe in the food pipe |
| Preparation | None | Light meal; walking shoes | Fast 4–6 hours; escort |
| Sedation | No | No | Yes, usually |
| Typical time | 30–45 min | About 1 hour | 20–30 min + recovery |
| Best for | Pumping, valves, routine checks | Blocked arteries, exercise symptoms | Valve detail, clots, holes in the heart |
Times are typical and vary with the findings. Your cardiologist will tell you which test you need.
Preparation &
What Happens During an ECHO
Before the test
For a standard echo, eat, drink and take your medicines as usual. For a stress echo, wear comfortable shoes and ask whether to pause any heart-rate medicines. For a TEE, do not eat or drink for 4–6 hours and bring someone to take you home.
Getting ready
You change into a gown and lie on your left side. Small ECG stickers are placed on the chest to track the heart rhythm.
Imaging
The sonographer or cardiologist moves a probe with cool gel over the chest, taking views from different angles. You may be asked to breathe in, out or hold your breath briefly.
Stress or TEE (if needed)
For a stress echo, images are repeated right after treadmill exercise or a medicine infusion. For a TEE, the throat is numbed, sedation is given and a thin probe is gently passed into the food pipe for a few minutes.
After the test
After a standard echo you can go straight back to normal activities. After a TEE, wait about an hour before eating or drinking and do not drive that day. A cardiologist reviews the images and your doctor explains the results.
Is an echocardiogram safe?
A standard echo is completely safe, with no radiation, so it can be repeated as often as needed and is safe in pregnancy. A stress echo is supervised by a cardiologist with monitoring throughout. A TEE may leave a mild sore throat for a day; serious complications are rare.
Understanding Your
ECHO Results
The most quoted number on an echo report is the ejection fraction (EF) — the percentage of blood the main pumping chamber pushes out with each beat. A normal EF is about 55–70%.
Your report also describes the size and wall thickness of each chamber, how each wall segment moves, how each valve opens and closes (stenosis means narrowing, regurgitation means leaking), estimated pressures in the lungs, and whether there is fluid around the heart. Words like “mild”, “moderate” or “severe” describe how significant a finding is.
Many reports mention trivial valve leaks, which are common and usually normal. Always discuss your report with your cardiologist rather than interpreting it alone.
ECHO Test Cost
in Coimbatore
The cost depends on the type of echo — a standard 2D echo with Doppler costs less than a stress echo, 3D echo or TEE. Please call 0422-4042121 for current standalone prices.
An ECHO is also included in KG Hospital’s health checkups, such as the Master Health Checkup (₹6,150) and the Women’s Health Check (₹7,250), along with ECG and other tests. Prices were updated in April 2026 and may change. See all checkup packages →
When an echo is part of a hospital admission, it is usually covered by insurance. KG Hospital is empanelled with 50+ insurers and TPAs and with CMCHIS, PM-JAY, ESI, CGHS and ECHS. Insurance & cashless details →
Cardiologists
at KG Heart Center
KG Heart Center is part of KG Hospital, founded in 1974 by Padma Shri awardee Dr G. Bakthavathsalam, and accredited by NABH.
About this page. Written by the KG Heart Center cardiology team, KG Hospital, Coimbatore. Clinical information is consistent with the guidelines listed below. Last updated: .
References
- Recommendations for Cardiac Chamber Quantification by Echocardiography in Adults — American Society of Echocardiography / European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.
- Guidelines for Performing a Comprehensive Transesophageal Echocardiographic Examination — American Society of Echocardiography / Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists.
- 2021 ESC Guidelines for heart failure — ejection fraction categories (key points summary).