Our range of services

ECHOCARDIOGRAM

An echocardiogram is an imaging test that uses harmless sound waves. It shows how well your heart muscle and valves are working. It also shows how large your heart is. A device that looks like a microphone is used to bounce sound waves off your heart. A computer changes the sound waves into images that are seen on a "T.V." screen. These images help the doctor evaluate your heart.  Echocardiograms are safe and painless.

STRESS TESTING

Cardiac Nuclear Imaging

Cardiac Nuclear Imaging, also called a "Perfusion Scan," is a way of checking blood flow through the muscle (or walls) of yourheart. To do this, a small amount of radioactive matter is given to youthrough a vein, thus requiring you to have an I.V. line. A camera scansthe tracer in the blood as it flows through your heart muscle. This testmay be done before, during, and after exercise. If you can not walk onthe treadmill, a medication may be given through the I.V. to substitutefor exercise. This medication takes approximately 5 minutes to infuse.

Stress Echo

Patients with coronary artery blockages may have minimal or no symptoms during rest.  However, symptoms and signs of heart disease may be unmasked by exposing the heart to the stress of exercise.  To do this you will be brought to the Echo laboratory where a "resting" study is performed. This provides a baseline examination and demonstrates the size and function of various chambers of the heart.  A colorless gel is then applied to the chest and the echo technologist makes recordings from different parts of the chest to obtain several views of the heart. You may be moved from laying on your back to turning over to your left side. You may also be requested to breathe slowly or to hold your breath.  Next the blood pressure is taken. Exercise is then initiated using a treadmill. In patients who are unable to complete a high level of exercise because of physical limitations, stress to the heart is provided by pharmaceutical or chemical stimulation of the heart. The Stress Echo is made up of three parts: A resting Echo study, Stress test, and a repeat Echo while the heart is still beating fast.

Direct Current Cardioversion

Cardioversion is a brief procedure where an electrical shock is delivered to the heart to convert an abnormal heart rhythm back to a normal rhythm. Most elective or "non-emergency" cardioversions are performed to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, benign heart rhythm disturbances originating in the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Cardioversion is used in emergency situations to correct a rapid abnormal rhythm associated with faintness, low blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness.

Ankle-Brachial Index Testing (ABI)

ABI testing is performed to screen for peripheral arterial disease of the legs. This test is done by measuring blood pressure at the ankle and in the arm while a person is at rest. Measurements are then repeated at both sites after 5 minutes of exercise. The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) result is used to predict the severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD). A decrease in the ABI result with exercise is a sensitive indicator that significant PAD is probably present.

Enhanced External CounterPulsation

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive technique to treat chronic stable chest pain (angina). Angina occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood and oxygen to support the work it is doing. Many people experience angina during exertion – when the heart has to work harder and needs more oxygen. EECP is designed to reduce the heart's workload while increasing the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart, thereby relieving angina pain.  In EECP, 3 air cuffs are placed on each of your legs – one on the calf, one on the lower thigh, and one on the upper thigh. You lie on a table and are hooked up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor (small, sticky patches will be placed on your chest). The ECG measures your heart's electrical activity, and the cuffs inflate and deflate in response to these signals.