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Non-invasive procedures do not require surgery, needles, or a hospital stay.
Non-invasive procedures are used to determine whether a problem exists and whether additional testing and treatment is necessary.
The non-invasive cardiac services at the Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial University Medical Center are overseen by a full-time board-certified cardiologist.
Our services include EKG testing, Holter monitoring, echocardiography, stress testing, and nuclear studies.
All tests must be ordered by a physician.
To schedule an appointment, call 912-350-2766.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography (also called echo, cardiac ultrasound or ultrasonography, cardiac Doppler, transthoracic echocardiography, or TTE)
is a computer procedure that allows physicians to study the way the heart and its valves are functioning.
An ultrasound machine creates a moving image of the heart by bouncing soundwaves over it. The process is simple and painless.
There are several diseases of the heart that may be detected by echocardiography, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Atherosclerosis (also called coronary artery disease) – a gradual clogging of the arteries over many years by fatty materials and other substances in the blood stream.
- Aneurysm -- a dilation of a part of the heart muscle or the aorta (the large artery that carries oxygenated blood out of the heart to the rest of the body), which may cause a weakness of the tissue at the site of the aneurysm. In extreme cases, the aneurysm may rupture, which is an emergency situation, due to rapid blood loss out of the blood vessels.
- Cardiomyopathy -- an enlargement of the heart due to thickening or weakening of the heart muscle.
- Congenital defects -- defects in one or more heart structures that occur during formation of the fetus.
- Congestive heart failure -- a condition in which the heart muscle has become weakened to an extent that blood cannot be pumped efficiently; thus, causing build-up (congestion) in the blood vessels, lungs, feet, ankles, and other parts of the body.
- Pericarditis -- an inflammation or infection of the sac that surrounds the heart.
- Valve disease -- malfunction of one or more of the heart valves may cause an obstruction of the blood flow within the heart.
EKG and Holter Monitoring
The electrical activity of the heart is measured by an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). By placing electrodes at specific locations on the body (chest, arms, and legs), a graphic representation, or tracing, of the electrical activity can be obtained.
Changes in an EKG from the normal tracing can indicate a specific heart condition.
Holter monitoring involves wearing a portable EKG device that records the heart’s electrical activity for a period of 24 to 72 hours.
Both EKG and Holter monitoring are painless procedures that typically do not involve a hospital stay.
Nuclear Cardiology/Radioisotope Stress Test
Nuclear cardiology refers to the use of nuclear medicine or radioisotope techniques to study heart problems. A radioisotope stress test is used to determine whether the heart is getting enough blood.
During the “stress” portion of the test, you may be asked to exercise on a treadmill or bicycle. In some cases, the stress will be
induced with chemicals such as adenosine or persantine. The chemicals or exercise enlarge (dilate) the blood vessels to the heart.
Blood flow is then measured with an ECG test or with a radioisotope tracer that releases small amounts of radiation.
Before the test begins, we will start an intravenous (IV) and attach electrodes to your body for ECG monitoring.
As the blood vessels dilate, the small amounts of radiation given off by the tracer are detected using a scanning camera.
If there is narrowing in the heart’s vessels or they do not enlarge, the tracer to those areas of the heart is decreased.
Areas with less “uptake” show up differently and are called defects. Two sets of images are used, one for baseline (rest),
and the other (stress portion) to determine if a defect is present.
The entire radioisotope stress test takes three to four hours. You may have to return the next day to complete the test.
The amount of radiation released is very small and safe. The stress portion of the test is generally safe,
but there is always a small amount of risk when the heart is stressed with exercise or chemicals.
To prepare for the test, please follow these instructions as well as any other directions your doctor gives you:
- No food or drink for at least six hours.
- Mention any history of asthma or drugs for asthma, especially theophylline.
- Do not take an medication containing theophylline for at least 48 before the test.
- Do not drink any beverages that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, or cocoa) for 24 hours before the test.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
- Write down any questions you may have so that you can ask them before the procedure.
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