Diagnosis
We provide premier care by meeting the utmost standards of excellence for our patients. Our diagnostic procedures use the most up-to-date technology to contribute to our promise of quality. This enables us to ensure accurate treatment of patients by incorporating the following technologies:
- High-tech heart operating room with full back-up capabilities
- Two full-service cardiac catheterization laboratories that can be used for diagnostic and treatment procedures
- Accredited stress lab (accredited by the Intersocietial Commission for Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratory) that runs tests to provide information to doctors regarding the strength of the heart
Echocardiography
Our Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute was the first in the region to offer patients real-time, three-dimensional images of the heart via the use of ultrasound echocardiography. Multiple images give physicians a very good picture of how the heart is pumping and doing its job. As a diagnostic tool, echocardiography uses ultra high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) that capture images of the heart and heart valves. The test reveals the size and shape of the heart and measures how well it functions.
Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure used to test:
- The blood pressure within the heart
- The amount of oxygen in the blood
- The ability of the heart to pump blood
The physician inserts a thin plastic tube, or catheter into an artery or vein in the arm or leg. The tube is advanced into the chambers of the heart or into the coronary arteries.
Cardiac catheterizations also can serve as treatment. During catheterization, a balloon opens the arteries to the heart and a stent is inserted to help improve blood flow.
Other Diagnostic Procedures
- Tilt Table Testing evaluates heart rate
- Walking on the treadmill monitors blood pressure and the heart's response to stress
- Nuclear imaging provides pictures that help during the overall assessment of heart health
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