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Exercise Stress Echo

An Exercise Stress Echocardiogram (stress echo) is used to evaluate the heart's response to exercise by combining an exercise test with an echocardiogram.

Stress echo uses ultrasound waves to produce images of the heart both before and immediately following exercise. Images of the heart at rest are compared with images of the heart after exercise to assess for narrowing of the coronary arteries and the functional effects of valve disease.

This investigation is made more accurate with an intravenous solution (Definity) that produces a better defined image of the heart. This is recognised as world's best practice.

Dr Nowakowski is a highly trained cardiologist in Canberra who supervises and reports a large number of stress echo procedures. He is the clinical lead of echocardiography at The Canberra Hospital and previously completed a two year fellowship in stress echo at world-renowned centres of excellence in Australia and Canada. He has a particular interest in the evaluation of patients with chest pain.