At Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, we understand that recovery begins with a complete and accurate circulatory disorder or heart disease diagnosis. Our team uses state-of-the art resources to study your cardiovascular system. We work like detectives to uncover the slightest problems and treat them before they become life threatening. Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute Diagnostic Services offers complete diagnostic services.
We meet the highest standards of accreditations for our diagnostic services. This means that independent credentialing organizations have reviewed our practices and recognized the quality care we provide. Find out more about the rigorous standards Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute meets.
Our Institute provides inpatient and outpatient diagnostic services in a comfortable setting on our campus.
Electrocardiography (EKG) - A recording of electrical currents produced by the beating heart.
Heart and Blood Pressure Monitoring - Electrodes are connected to a portable monitor which records continuous readings of the heart's blood pressure and electrical activity. Heart disease is one of the results from high blood pressure so it is important to monitor. Patients conduct normal daily activities and keep a diary of dates, times and symptoms during the monitoring period. The monitor is about the size of a camera and is attached to a shoulder strap and worn by the patient for various lengths of time, ranging from 24 hours to 30 days.
Non-invasive Blood Flow Studies, including Echocardiography, Color Doppler Studies, Carotid Imaging and Peripheral Arterial/Venous Studies - Painless diagnostic techniques using ultrasound to record size, motion, blood flow and composition of the heart, veins and arteries. This may also include a blood test for heart disease.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) - A special tube is placed down the patient's esophagus to obtain detailed images of the heart using ultrasound.
Exercise Tolerance Testing (Stress Test) - A measurement of the heart's response under the stress of physical activity, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. An EKG is taken before, during and after exercise. This test may also be performed in combination with a nuclear scan in which a small amount of a radioactive substance, called thallium, is injected into the bloodstream. A special camera scans the heart, creating detailed images of blood flow. For people unable to exercise, a medication that mimics the heart's reaction to exercise can be given. This is called a Pharmacological Exercise Tolerance Test. Echocardiography can also be used to image the heart during a stress test.
Cardiac Radiology, including MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography) Scanning - Imaging techniques that provide "pictures" of how the cardiovascular system is working or to detect atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the artery.
Electrophysiology Study - A study that provides important information about the electrical impulses triggering the heart's beating.
Angiography - Sometimes called arteriography, angiography uses X-ray images and contrast dye to study blood flow in the arteries. An angiogram, the X-ray picture that is made, can be used to examine almost any artery, including those in the heart, head, kidneys, lungs or other organs.
Cardiac Catheterization - Using X-ray images, a catheter (a long, narrow, flexible tube) is placed into a blood vessel in the arm or groin, and then threaded into the heart's arteries and heart valves to find any blockages in blood flow.