Diagnosis

When it comes to health, we know you want answers right away. That's why we use the latest technologies to make a diagnosis. We have:

• An advanced open-heart operating room with full back-up capabilities.
• Two full-service cardiac catheterization laboratories for diagnostic and treatment procedures.
• An accredited stress lab that runs tests to provide information regarding the strength of the heart. It is accredited by the Intersocietial Commission for Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratory.

Echocardiography

We were the first in the region to offer patients real-time, three-dimensional images of the heart via the use of ultrasound echocardiography. Multiple images give physicians a very good picture of how the heart is pumping and doing its job. As a diagnostic tool, echocardiography uses ultra-high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) that capture images of the heart and heart valves. The test reveals the size and shape of the heart and measures how well it functions.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure to test:

• The blood pressure within the heart
• The amount of oxygen in the blood
• The ability of the heart to pump blood

In a cardiac catheterization, the physician inserts a thin plastic tube, or catheter into an artery or vein in the arm or leg. The tube advances into the chambers of the heart or into the coronary arteries.

Cardiac catheterizations also can serve as treatment. During catheterization, a balloon opens the arteries to the heart and a stent is inserted to help improve blood flow.

Other Diagnostic Procedures

• Evaluating the heart rate by Tilt Table Testing
• Walking on the treadmill to monitor blood pressure and the heart's response to stress

Using nuclear imaging to provide pictures that help during the overall assessment of heart health