Echocardiography is used to evaluate a broad variety of cardiac illness.  High frequency ultrasound is used to image moving cardiac structures in real time and to evaluate the direction and velocity of blood flow.  It is the test of choice for evaluating murmurs and heart valve problems.  It is also useful for evaluating heart function in patients with congestive heart failure.  It can be used along with exercise treadmill testing to evaluate chest pain and coronary blockages.   This test, often referred to as a stress echo, has a very high accuracy in diagnosing coronary disease.  Transesophageal echocardiography is used for higher resolution imaging of cardiac valves and to look for clots within the heart.  For this test, an ultrasound probe is placed in the esophagus just behind the heart.  Real time ultrasound images are obtained.   All ECA cardiologists interpret echocardiograms.  Drs. Getchell, Kim, Vossler, Wyman, and Yu perform transesophageal studies.