Exams
An echocardiogram looks at the heart with ultrasound, and the transesophageal version is a different appointment with sedation
How many echocardiograms are in the catalogue?
Five. Fonasa's 2026 MLE fee schedule separates them by technique, and that separation decides the room, the duration and sometimes an anaesthetist.
| Catalogue name | Code |
|---|---|
| Two-dimensional echocardiogram | 17-01-008 |
| Doppler echocardiogram, with recording | 17-01-007 |
| Two-dimensional colour doppler echocardiogram | 17-01-045 |
| Two-dimensional colour doppler transesophageal echocardiogram | 17-01-055 |
| Fetal echocardiogram | 17-01-056 |
The doctor writes ecocardio or heart ultrasound. The calendar has five lines to choose from, and one of them changes the whole shape of the day.
How does the difference show on the order?
Certain words give each version away, and one is enough to know which unit to call.
- Transesofágico, TEE, probe, sedation or fasting point to the version that goes down the throat.
- Colour doppler, bidimensional, transthoracic or TTE point to the version done with a probe on the chest.
- Stress, esfuerzo or dobutamine point to an echocardiogram taken during or after exertion, which is another service in another room.
- Fetal points to the obstetrics unit, even though the word echocardiogram is the same.
What changes if the order says transesophageal?
The whole day. MedlinePlus describes the procedure as one where the back of the throat is numbed and a long, flexible but firm catheter is passed through it, adding that you are given a sedative before the probe is inserted.
Sedation means fasting beforehand, a companion, no driving, and a considerably longer appointment that adds recovery time. The specific exam preparation is set by the centre.
Does it get confused with a neck doppler?
Often. Both say eco and doppler, and one looks at the heart while the other looks at the arteries in the neck. That second exam is covered in the carotid doppler ultrasound guide, lives in the imaging unit and is reported differently.
Why does this order fall through?
Because it needs a cardiologist in the room throughout, which makes slots scarce and distant. An appointment two months out decays on its own: the phone changes, the job changes, the date is forgotten. Scheduling that goes unconfirmed in the meantime ends in an empty room.
On top of that, an echocardiogram is usually ordered alongside another cardiac exam, and the patient books one and assumes the other is covered. The second disappears without anyone noticing.
A message confirming the appointment a few days ahead and offering to move it rather than lose it already exists. Ask your health centre whether they work with Surface.