| Cardiac CT Imaging/Non-Invasive Coronary | | | | blockages. Patients undergo an injection of a |
| AngiogramUsing computed tomography and | | | | short-acting radioactive substance prior to |
| advanced computer software, Los Angeles | | | | and during treadmill exercise. The patient |
| Cardiology services provider Apex Cardiology | | | | then lies under a "gamma" camera while a |
| can now obtain a non-invasive image of the | | | | computer collects information and creates a |
| beating heart. This allows you to obtain | | | | detailed image of the heart muscle. This |
| detailed information about the structure of a | | | | image allows the cardiologist to detect |
| patient's heart and coronary arteries, which | | | | coronary artery blockages by looking for past |
| until recently, was only available by an | | | | and potential future heart muscle damage. A |
| invasive coronary angiogram. The extent of | | | | medication called adenosine can be |
| arterial calcification can also be determined | | | | substituted for exercise for those patients |
| using this procedure and is an important | | | | who cannot walk on a treadmill adequately or |
| early indicator of the presence of coronary | | | | safely. |
| artery disease. These discoveries may lead to | | | | |
| earlier treatment that will prevent a heart | | | | EchocardiographyEchocardiography or an "echo" |
| attack or possible death. So instead of | | | | uses sound waves to create images of the |
| considering a angiogram los angeles patients | | | | heart. During this procedure, a technologist |
| can now go for cardiac CT imaging. | | | | uses a hand-held scanning device that creates |
| | | | digital images for a cardiologist to review. |
| Stress Testing | | | | These images help the cardiologist learn more |
| | | | about heart size and function, including the |
| Stress Testing is designed to give you | | | | chambers and valves. Sometimes this is |
| information about the health of the heart and | | | | performed both prior to and after stress |
| help diagnose coronary artery blockages. | | | | testing to improve detection of coronary |
| During stress testing, we conduct an | | | | artery blockages. |
| electrocardiogram (ECG) while the patient | | | | |
| exercises on the treadmill. The exercise | | | | Cardiac Catheterization / Invasive Coronary |
| difficulty and duration increase during the | | | | Angiogram |
| test so that we can obtain more information | | | | |
| about how the heart performs. In some cases, | | | | During this procedure, performed by a |
| we may combine imaging of the heart with the | | | | cardiologist in the hospital setting, a |
| ECG to gain additional information (see | | | | catheter is inserted through a small hole in |
| Nuclear Cardiology and Echocardiography). We | | | | the femoral artery at the top of the leg. The |
| also provide non-exercise (pharmacological) | | | | catheter is advanced through the aorta to the |
| protocols for patients who cannot adequately | | | | heart and is used to inject x-ray dye into |
| walk on a treadmill. | | | | the heart and coronary arteries and to |
| | | | measure pressures inside the heart. This |
| Nuclear Cardiology | | | | procedure is performed under light sedation. |
| | | | The results may indicate the presence of |
| Los Angeles Cardiology patients can also take | | | | coronary artery blockages, heart muscle |
| the nuclear cardiology, also sometimes called | | | | damage, and valvular heart disease. |
| a "nuclear stress test" or "stress | | | | |
| cardiolite" study, nuclear cardiac imaging is | | | | So if you are considering heart surgery los |
| used in conjunction with stress testing to | | | | angeles patients should consider Apex |
| improve the detection of coronary artery | | | | Cardiology and check their services. |