|
|
|
64 Slice and Heart Disease
March 18, 2008 |
Every 34 seconds a person in America dies from heart disease. Dr. Richard Davis
is a cardiologist who sees patients who are dealing with the disease every day.
“Unfortunately as a cardiologist I see patients who already have advanced
disease. Certainly it would be of value to the family practitioner, the general
physician to address preventative measures much earlier in life.” Now heart
disease prevention and early detection are more possible than ever in Southwest
Florida. This thanks to some revolutionary technology. Dr. Jeffery Sonn is a
Radiologist at Healthpark Medical Center who is happy to have this new
equipment. “ It’s just exciting because it’s new technology it’s giving images
that we haven’t seen before, studies we haven’t done before it’s really going to
help patients,” he says. The technology is called the Coronary Computed
Tomography Angiogram or the CCTA. It is a scanning system that is so quick it
can gather images of the heart in between heart beats. Dr. Sonn says, “The
images and the amount of data we can require is much faster than before because
we have more detectors. We’re able to see coronary arteries in a 3-D or global
type of view where we can see the wall, the loom in what type of calcification,
what type of plaque.” The CCTA is less expensive and much less invasive than
traditional cardiac catheterization. It can also detect heart problems sooner
and can be more convenient for patients. “You’re basically getting a C-T scan.
So you lay there we inject contrast the scan goes through the heart so we’re
able to have a very good detail of the coronary arteries. It’s really the only
tool that we have now for early detection of coronary artery disease,” says Dr.
Sonn. The CCTA has been used at Healthpark for the past few months. It’s
expected to change the way physicians are able to treat patients with suspected
heart disease or chest pain. A CCTA scan is most useful for patients who may
have atypical chest pain or other in determinant symptoms that could be related
to the coronary arteries. |
|
|
|
