Non-Invasive Procedures
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CTA is an x-ray technique that produces a more detailed image of the body's organs than regular x-ray. CTA detects:
- Presence of plaque(fatty deposits) in vessels of the heart or elsewhere in the body
- The quality of that plaque (soft, unstable, more likely to rupture or more stable and hardened)
- Presence and amount of calcium build-up in the vessels of the heart or elsewhere in the body
- Cause of atypical chest pain
Cardiac Calcium Scoring
A cardiac calcium score is a screening tool that measures how much calcified plaque is present in the heart arteries of an individual. There is a direct correlation between the amount of calcium in these arteries and the likelihood of a future cardiac event such as heart attack or stroke.
PADnet is an easy to use system that uses automated means to obtain Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)/Toe- Brachial Index (TBI) values and Pulse Volume Recording (PVR) waveforms.
In just 15 – 20 minutes, during a regular office visit, the non-invasive ABI, TBI and PVR tests help identify obstructive periperal disease and determine whether medical or surgical treatment is necessary.
Carotid Doppler
An ultrasound to evaluate blood vessels in the neck that lead to the brain.
Arterial Doppler
Also called ABI, is a comparison of blood pressures of the arms and ankles. May involve a short walk on the treadmill, followed by an ultrasound to evaluate blood flow in the legs
Venous Doppler
An ultrasound to evaluate the veins of the arm or leg for blood clots.
A test that records your resting heart rhythm and is used to help physicians diagnose arrhythmias
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Nuclear Cardiac Imaging are test that produce images of the heart at work (during exercise) and at rest. During a test, you are given an injection of a small dose of a harmless radioactive tracer. Then you spend time exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle and then resting. A specialized camera (called a "gamma camera") detects the tracer as it passes through the chambers of your heart, creating the pictures. The pictures may reveal problems in heart muscle and blood vessels, especially when the images of the heart at work and at rest are compared.
Holter Monitoring
Usually conducted over a 24-hour period while the patient goes about his or her usual daily activities. It is a continuous recording of the electrocardiogram, which is useful for detecting arrhythmias that may not appear during a resting electrocardiogram.
Event (Loop) Monitoring
Like Holter monitoring, event monitoring involves wearing a very small, portable, EKG recorder. But a Holter monitor is worn for a few days at most; an event monitor can be worn for months. An event monitor is activated when you have "an event," that is, you feel the symptoms of your heart problem (an arrhythmia, for example). The recorded data can be sent over the phone to your doctors for analysis.
Transtelephonic Pacemaker Monitoring
Used to record heart rate and rhythms for brief periods, which are sent to a recorder by telephone
Echocardiography
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This is an ultrasound test that sends sound waves into the chest to rebound from the heart's walls and valves. The recorded waves show the shape, texture and movement of the valves on an echocardiogram. They also show the size of the heart chambers and how well they're working.
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
A special type of ultrasound imaging procedure. A transducer placed on the end of a tube is passed down a person's throat and into the esophagus. The esophagus is close to the heart, and images from TEE can give very clear pictures of the heart and its structures.
Abdominal Aorta Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging of the abdominal aorta that looks for potential aneurysms.
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