New 3D arterial imaging for patients with suspected coronary artery disease
If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) your doctor may recommend a CT scan and other types of tests to determine whether there is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries leading to your heart. A new advanced diagnostic tool allows your doctor to even better assess your arteries.
It’s called HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve) Analysis, a noninvasive technology that’s used in addition to your CT scan to create a 3D image of your coronary arteries. This analysis is useful because it gives your doctor greater clarity and understanding of your arterial environment and may prevent you from having invasive or unnecessary tests.
Lankenau Heart Institute is the first and only system in the Philadelphia region to offer this state-of-the-art diagnostic testing option.
After you’ve had a CT scan, the HeartFlow analysis is done with no further effort on your part. It does not require any additional appointments or scans. Using sophisticated imaging technology and skilled imaging experts to interpret the results, we are able to see where and to what extent your heart arteries are narrowed, and also see exactly how any narrowing is impacting blood flow. This may determine, for example, whether you would most benefit from stenting or from bypass surgery.
HeartFlow technology creates a personalized, full-color 3D map of your heart arteries and is provided to your doctor, who is then able to determine the most appropriate treatment option for you.
