Appointments
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+32 16 34 02 78 - weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00
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Echocardiography: +32 16 34 02 76
Medical prescription required
This test always requires a prescription from your doctor. Bring this prescription with you on the day of the test.
Preparation
You must fast
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You may drink clear liquids, such as water, tea, or fruit juice without pulp, up to one hour beforehand.
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Avoid other drinks and food from six hours beforehand.
- Inform the nurse before the test in case of:
- Asthma or allergies
- Reactions to anaesthetics like Xylocaine during previous procedures
- Pregnancy (or suspected pregnancy)
Procedure
Duration: approximately 20 minutes.
- Your throat will be locally anaesthetised with a spray.
- You'll lie on your left side on the examination table.
- The cardiologist will insert a flexible tube (endoscope) through your throat.
- At one point, you'll need to swallow to help the probe pass into your oesophagus.
- This may sometimes cause gagging.
- Breathe through your nose and abdomen.
- The doctor will subsequently position the probe behind your heart via the oesophagus.
- Using the probe at the end of the endoscope, the doctor will take pictures and moving images of your heart and major blood vessels.
Highly detailed images
The oesophagus is located directly behind the heart. Thanks to the short distance between the probe and the heart, the images obtained are of excellent quality.
The oesophageal ultrasound shows:
- The heart
- The aorta or main artery
- The atria
- The large blood vessels
- The mitral and tricuspid valves