Evoking imagery of the latest sci-fi movies and television shows, physicians at Western Baptist Hospital can now peer into the vessels of the heart with remarkable technology. It’s called the Aquilion 64 CFX and it incorporates multi-slice computed tomography (CT) technology to aid in cardiac care.

According to Dr. J. Kenneth Ford, interventional cardiologist at Western Baptist Hospital, 1.2 million Americans will have a first or recurrent coronary attack this year alone. “With the technology the new 64-slice CT affords physicians, we are better equipped to detect heart disease at earlier stages and in a less invasive manner,” says Dr. Ford.

Picturing the Heart
While patients take a single breath and hold it for just a few seconds, the new CT scanner captures superior, precise images of their hearts. These diagnostic images help physicians check for suspected heart disease, particularly in those patients at high risk for coronary heart disease. The scanner delivers high-speed, high-resolution imaging, which allows physicians to capture precise images of any area of the body, including the rapidly moving heart and lungs.

“The new scanner helps us detect signs of heart disease at its earliest stages by quickly and easily capturing images of the heart and coronary arteries that we can analyze for the presence of soft plaque or coronary blockage,” says Dr. Ford. “It is most useful as a preventative resource in discovering heart disease before symptoms occur in those individuals who may be at a high risk of developing heart conditions.”

Dr. Ford adds that the new technology can also be used after a non-diagnostic stress test and may prevent unnecessary heart caths. Patients with heavily calcified arteries, however, may still need other diagnostic procedures, such as cardiac caths, in order for clearer and more discernible images to be produced.