Rush is one of the leading institutions in the world using the new technology
The first fundamental breakthrough in diagnostic ultrasound for the heart in more than a decade -- real-time Volumetric three-dimensional echocardiography -- is now available to instantaneously provide ultrasound scans of the whole heart, rather than a single isolated section.
Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, is one of only nineteen institutions throughout the world using this technology, and is participating in several national studies to evaluate the use of standard echocardiography versus the new 3-D technology to measure left ventricular function both at rest and with exercise.
In the United States, over 14 million people a year undergo echocardiography. It is the most commonly performed test for heart related illnesses.
3-D echocardiography measures the size of each heart chamber, shows wall motion and scans the entire heart in the time it takes conventional echocardiography to acquire a single, two-dimensional image. While the image of the heart is displayed in two dimensions on a monitor, the computer sees and processes the image of the heart in three dimensions, allowing cardiologists to perform a complete examination of the structure and function of the entire heart from an infinite number of views.
Because the image is more anatomically correct and detailed, physicians are able
to make faster, more precise measurements, enhancing the accuracy of their
decisions. The additional information aids in determining the degree of heart
failure or wall damage. With this information, physicians can determine if the
patient's heart would benefit from cardiac bypass surgery, or is strong enough
to withstand chemotherapy if the patient needs it to treat cancer. It also can
provide more complete structural information to better assess whether a faulty
valve could be repaired surgically or must be
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Contact: Bridget McManamon
Bridget_K_McManamon@rsh.net
312-942-5579
Rush University Medical Center
7-Jul-1999