Echocardiography is the ultrasound examination of the heart. Painless, non-invasive and radiation-free diagnostic procedures detect conditions involving the structure and function of the heart -- providing maximum information with minimum risk. The Echocardiography Laboratory at Hartford Hospital offers a wide spectrum of echocardiography clinical services and state of the art equipment and technology.

The Echocardiography Laboratory’s heart and circulation specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for routine test requests and also to allow faster diagnoses in emergency medical situations.

A Wide Spectrum of Services

The Echocardiography Laboratory, providing both inpatient and outpatient services, is staffed by physicians and sonographers with clinical expertise. The laboratory performs approximately 9,000 studies a year and Cardiology fellows participate in emergency on-call studies. Specialized types of echocardiographs include:
  • Transesophageal echocardiography
  • Intraoperative echocardiography
  • Exercise and pharmacologic stress echocardiography
  • Contrast echocardiography
  • Three-dimensional echocardiography
  • Doppler tissue imaging
  • Strain rate imaging
In addition, participation in research ensures that the hospital remains in the forefront of latest advances in technology and medicine related to echocardiography. Members of the laboratory engage in research that is presented at all major national scientific meetings and published in peer review journals.