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Specialists
in the treatment of heart disease utilizing state of the art cardiovascular
imaging
Cardiovascular
Imaging cardiologists have clinical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment
of patients with heart disease affecting the structure or function of
the heart. Those specialists are referred to as "imaging physicians"
because they determine the most appropriate way to image or study the
structure and function of the heart, in order to diagnose many types of
heart disease. Obtaining and interpreting images of the heart is critical
to the successful management of any cardiac disorder.
Cardiovascular
imaging physicians are also experts in the treatment and long-term management
of many types of heart conditions including:
The
Cleveland Clinic's Section of Cardiac Imaging
is one of the largest and most experienced in the country. Our staff reads
and interprets nearly 50,000 images every year.
Cardiovascular
imaging specialists have pioneered the use of stress echocardiography
in evaluating heart valve disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic
aneurysm, patent foramen ovale, and diastolic dysfunction in amyloidosis
and constrictive pericarditis.
Imaging
specialists in the Department of Cardiovascular Imaging utilize the following
diagnostic studies to diagnose heart disease, plan optimal care for patients,
and help ensure treatment is complete. They also use these diagnostic
studies to minimize complications during many types of catheter-based
procedures and heart surgery.
Echocardiography,
including Doppler and 3-D is used to assess the overall function of
the heart, determine the presence of many types of heart disease, follow
the progress of valve disease and evaluate the effectiveness of medical
or surgical treatment.
Stress
echocardiography uses exercise or medication to make the heart work
harder than when at rest. This helps us obtain more detailed pictures
of the heart and how well or poorly it is functioning. Although stress
echo is widely used to evaluate coronary artery disease, members of the
section have pioneered its use in evaluating heart valve disease, such
as aortic stenosis and insufficiency (regurgitation), bicuspid aortic
valve disease, mitral valve prolapse, mitral valve stenosis and insufficiency,
tricuspid and pulmonic valve disease, rheumatic heart disease, hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy (HCM), and diastolic dysfunction in amyloidosis and constrictive
pericarditis.
Transesophageal
echocardiography (TEE) is used during surgery of the coronary arteries,
valves or aorta. TEE is also done to evaluate whether a patient who has
atrial fibrillation is at high risk for stroke. The procedure can show
the presence of any blood clots in the heart (which have the potential
to travel into the bloodstream and cause a stroke).
Intracardiac
echo is valuable during electrophysiology and other catheter-based procedures
to assist the cardiologist in visualizing the heart's structures and minimizing
complications.
Nuclear
imaging studies are used to diagnose various heart conditions. Specialists
use Multigated
Acquisition Scan (MUGA) , positron
emission tomography (PET), and sestamibi
exercise stress testing to find out more about the structure and function
of the heart.
Cardiac
MRI is considered the best method to evaluate heart structure, size,
and function. This test uses a specialized cardiac capable MRI scanner
to evaluate the heart. For people who cannot have an MRI scan (due to
metal clips, pacemakers, etc.), a radionuclide study or cardiac
CT scan are also options.
Coronary
computed tomography angiography (CT Angiography) is being studied
as a noninvasive method for detecting blockages in the coronary arteries.
Both 40-detector and 64-detector scanners are being evaluated to determine
their ability to rule out significant narrowing of the major coronary
arteries and non-invasively detect “soft plaque,” or fatty
matter that may lead to future problems if lifestyle changes or medical
treatment are not initiated.
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