Technology capable of macroscopically analyzing the functioning and anatomy of the heart and studying the properties of the myocardium
The field of cardiology is changing with innovative solutions and advances in cardiac imaging due to diagnostic techniques.
Currently, and non-invasively, through advanced cardiac imaging it is possible to assess numerous aspects of the heart, from its blood supply to how blood moves inside it and how it works.
Within this field, one of the main advances is in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. “Today it is a fundamental tool for the diagnosis and guidance of treatment in cardiology patients,” says Dr. Angélica Romero Daza, a specialist in advanced cardiac imaging at Hospital La Luz.
According to this expert, through cardiac resonance it is possible to assess the functioning of the myocardium, its contractility and the strength of the heart, the presence of scars and fibrosis, the functioning of the valves and the anatomy of the aorta and the great vessels.
Recently, La Luz Hospital has incorporated a 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance, with the latest innovative technology to improve and expand clinical possibilities. It allows you to obtain information at the same moment and provide superior image quality and digital speed capable of reducing scanning time by more than 30%.
"With this new digitalized equipment, we have the latest sequences and acquisition applications that allow us to study the heart in depth in a reduced time, thanks to the new techniques used and thus improve patient comfort and tolerance," says Dr. Angélica Romero.
According to the cardiologist at Hospital la Luz, thanks to this technology, we are not only able to macroscopically analyze the functioning and anatomy of the heart, but we are also able to characterize and study the properties of the myocardium, through mapping techniques that They provide direct and objective quantification of the myocardium, allowing the detection of abnormalities that are too subtle to be identified in a visual examination.
“It is also possible to assess valvular flows and the presence of shunts in a novel and more precise way through the use of sequences such as 4D-Flow (a cardiac diagnostic tool ), as well as the anatomical assessment of the aorta and great vessels without the need to use contrast, the latter being very useful in patients with a contraindication for it,” says Dr. Romero Daza.
All of these aspects have revolutionized clinical practice and quality of care and it is a great advantage for our patients that we can count on the support of the latest technology in our hospital.