MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American men and women, yet often times there are very few visible signs or symptoms. To help in the fight against heart disease, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast recently installed a state-of-the-art 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner.

In a matter of seconds, this advanced CT produces remarkably detailed, high resolution images of even the smallest blood vessels. The heart and internal organs can be precisely imaged, enabling your physician to diagnose life-threatening abnormalities sooner and with greater accuracy, without the need for surgery or invasive diagnostic procedures.

“We can now look at the arteries to detect calcium build-up, which has been confirmed to be a powerful predictor of heart attacks, sudden death and other manifestations of coronary heart disease,” said Dr. James Ward, cardiologist and Chief Medical Officer for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. “Our new scanner is able to detect plaque years or even decades before it might be discovered as a result of the presence of symptoms, a stress test, or other noninvasive testing. This early detection may allow preventive treatment and lifestyle changes to be made, which could dramatically reduce future cardiac problems.”

The new scanner at Sacred Heart can capture images of a beating heart in as few as five heartbeats or of an organ in one second, and can scan for whole body trauma in 10 seconds. More importantly, it does so without sacrificing clarity, offering a spectacular snapshot of all the veins and arteries in the body as well as internal organs.

The new CT scanner means Sacred Heart doctors now have the ability to diagnose blockages in major blood vessels with a fast, simple external scan. For some patients, the scan may be an easier, safer alternative to a cardiac catheterization procedure, which requires the use of intravascular catheters.

“We can now diagnose vascular disease faster, more accurately and non-invasively,” said Dr. Barry Riggs, interventional radiologist at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. “The speed of this machine makes a big difference in our ability to image the beating heart – and with minimal risk or discomfort for the patient.”

In addition, the innovative design of the new scanner provides a completely open environment, eliminating the closed-in feeling and thus avoiding the anxiety that is sometimes associated with diagnostic imaging.

For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast or the new 64-slice CT scanner, please call (850) 278-3000 or visit www.sacredheartemerald.org.
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