Cardiac Imaging Specialists in NJ
Mountainside Medical Center is dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive heart screening and imaging services to support your heart health. Our state-of-the-art, non-invasive cardiac imaging tests are designed to offer the most accurate and detailed insights into your heart’s function, allowing for early detection and treatment of heart conditions. We offer a range of services, including electrocardiograms to monitor electrical activity, echocardiograms to assess heart structure and function, and advanced technologies like HeartFlow Analysis for precise evaluation of coronary artery disease. Our team of skilled professionals is committed to ensuring your comfort and care throughout the diagnostic process, helping to empower you with the information needed to make informed decisions about your heart health.
Non-invasive Cardiac Tests We Provide
Our cardiac imaging specialists provide a wide range of heart tests to help you stay ahead of your heart health. Our services include:
- Electrocardiograms – Also known as an EKG or ECG, an electrocardiogram is a simple, painless test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. Electrocardiograms help determine the cause of symptoms of heart disease such as unexplained chest pain, irregular heart beat, dizziness, and shortness of breath. We offer two types of ECGs:
- Transesophageal echocardiograms: By passing a small, thin tube down the throat into the esophagus, physicians can assess the overall function of the heart’s chambers and valves. To reduce discomfort, the back of the patient’s throat is sprayed with a topical anesthetic sedative to help relax the patient. The patient’s heart rate, heart rhythm, breathing, and blood pressure are carefully monitored during the test. The study takes about 30 minutes and the pictures taken of the heart are recorded for later review. This test is often performed when the results from a standard echocardiogram are not sufficient, or when your doctor feels a closer look at your heart would provide a more accurate diagnosis.
- Transthoracic echocardiograms: This non-invasive test utilizes ultrasound waves to provide a quick and extremely accurate assessment of the overall health of the heart. It can provide a wealth of helpful information when searching for congenital heart, pericardial, and valvular diseases.
- Holter monitoring — A Holter monitor is a continuous recording of a patient’s ECG for 24 hours. It helps the physician correlate symptoms of dizziness, irregular heart rhythms (palpitations), or blackouts. It starts with applying ECG electrodes to the chest. Thin wires connect the electrodes to a small tape recorder, which is secured to the patient’s belt or slung over the shoulder and neck. The recorder is worn for 24 hours and the patient is encouraged to continue his or her daily activities. A diary or log is provided so that the patient can record activity and symptoms. The Holter monitor has an internal clock which stamps the time on the ECG strips. These can be used to correlate the heart rhythm with symptoms or complaints. After 24 hours, the Holter monitor is returned to the laboratory for analysis.
- Stress testing — This test shows how your heart works during physical stress, and is a useful screening tool for significant coronary artery disease. While connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) machine, patients either walk on a treadmill or are given an intravenous (IV) medication that simulates exercise. The level of exercise is slowly increased and the patient’s symptoms and blood pressure response are consistently monitored throughout. The test continues until you reach a target heart rate, unless complications such as chest pain or an exaggerated rise in blood pressure develop. You will continue to be monitored for 10 – 15 minutes after exercising, or until your heart rate returns to baseline.
- Tilt table testing — This is a simple test that can help identify the causes of fainting by detecting a phenomenon known as postural or orthostatic hypotension. It involves placing a patient on a table with a foot-support, then tilting the table upward to a vertical position. The patient’s blood pressure, pulse, and symptoms are monitored throughout the test by a nurse and physician.
To learn more about our heart imaging services, please call us.
HeartFlow Analysis
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.1 CAD develops when the arteries leading to the heart narrow or become blocked, which may lead to a reduction in blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain, heart attacks and death. Despite being the most common form of heart disease, many of the non-invasive tests available today (such as stress testing) have low accuracy rates in detecting the disease.
Mountainside Medical Center is advancing the diagnosis of CAD with the HeartFlow Analysis. This non-invasive heart test provides a personalized 3D model of your coronary arteries that shows how each blockage impacts blood flow to your heart. This detailed information, which was previously only available through an invasive procedure, helps your doctor determine the next step in your treatment plan.
How It works
- Your doctor will order a coronary CT scan to look for blockages. If additional information is needed, your doctor may order a HeartFlow Analysis. This does not require another appointment and there is no additional risk to you.
- Using your CT scan, the HeartFlow technology creates a personalized digital 3D model of your coronary arteries. With trained specialists and powerful computer algorithms, the HeartFlow Analysis calculates how much each blockage limits your blood flow.
- Your doctor receives a digital, color-coded 3D model of your coronary arteries. This information helps you and your doctor determine the next step in your treatment plan.
HeartFlow offers significant benefits for evaluating coronary artery blockages. It provides a more detailed view of the significance of your coronary artery blockage compared to a standard coronary CT scan. As a non-invasive procedure, it poses no additional risk to you and reduces the need for follow-up testing and evaluation.
Additionally, HeartFlow helps your doctor better determine the most appropriate treatment of care, ensuring a more personalized and effective approach to managing your heart health.
Instructions for Non-invasive Cardiac Tests
First, you will need a written prescription from your doctor and a referral if required by your insurance plan. Once you have acquired this, you may visit our cardiology department for your test.
During your test, you may be asked to remove clothing above the waist and put on a hospital gown. We recommend that you wear a buttoned blouse or shirt without an undershirt for easy access to your chest. We also suggest wearing comfortable, loose fitting clothes and a comfortable pair of walking shoes or sneakers if you are having an exercise stress test.
Here are a few other things to remember:
- On the day of your test, please do not apply any creams, lotions or powders to your chest, arms or legs.
- Depending upon the type of test you are having, an intravenous (I.V.) tube may be placed into a vein in your arm so that sedatives or medications may be given through it.
- Remember not to eat or drink anything for the allotted amount of time before your test as instructed by your doctor. This is especially true if anesthesia will be administered.
Speak with your physician to determine whether you should stop any medications prior to or on the day of your scheduled test. Contact your physician for special instructions if you are a diabetic on insulin or taking oral diabetic medications.