What is cardiac imaging?
Cardiac imaging is a technology Peachstate Advanced Cardiac and Endovascular (PACE) uses to help diagnose the cause of any heart problems or check how well your heart’s working.
There are a variety of different tests you can undergo to check your heart function, including the ECG (electrocardiogram), which produces a graph of your heart’s electrical activity. Cardiac imaging tests all provide pictures of your heart that can show any damage or other causes for your symptoms.
One of the most versatile cardiac imaging tests is the echocardiogram.
What is an echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to produce images of your heart beating and enables Dr. Odiete to assess how well your heart’s pumping blood. Conditions that an echocardiogram might find include:
- Enlarged heart chambers
- Heart wall thickening
- Inadequate pumping
- Damaged heart muscle
- Heart valve abnormalities
- Congenital heart defects
- Faulty blood vessels
There are several types of echocardiogram:
Transthoracic echocardiogram
This is like a standard ultrasound exam, where a transducer passing over your skin sends out sound waves that bounce back off your tissues. A computer converts these echoes into images that help Dr. Odiete diagnose your condition.
You might need to have an injection of enhancing agent to make the images of your heart clearer, especially if any structures like your ribs are in the way and blocking the sound waves.
Transesophageal echocardiogram
This type of echocardiogram uses an internal ultrasound transducer. It’s most helpful for patients when a standard transthoracic echocardiogram isn’t suitable, for example, if you are obese, have lung problems, or scar tissue from older surgery.
Stress echocardiogram
It’s often the case that heart symptoms don’t show up when you attend a consultation. If that happens, you might need to undergo a stress echocardiogram. This test involves exercising on a piece of gym equipment like a treadmill or stationary cycle. You increase the effort you’re putting in until you either reach your target heart rate, or you can’t continue.
If you’re unable to exercise, your provider can give you medication to induce the same effect.
What other types of cardiac imaging tests are there?
Other cardiac imaging tests you might need to undergo include:
Chest X-ray
Often one of the first tests, an X-ray enables Dr. Odiete to see the overall condition of your heart and lungs. A coronary angiogram is an X-ray where you have a dye injected into your arteries to make them show up more clearly.
Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
For a cardiac CT scan, you need to lie inside a doughnut-shaped CT machine while the X-ray technology inside rotates. This produces more detailed images of your heart and lung area.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
For a cardiac MRI, you lie inside a big machine that’s like a short tunnel. The device produces a magnetic field and radio waves that together produce very detailed images of your heart.
If you’re experiencing any symptoms that might be due to heart problems, contact Peachstate Advanced Cardiac and Endovascular (PACE).
