The mission of the center is to provide cutting edge MRI and CT methods to accurately diagnose cardiovascular disease.   The center focuses on pursuing clinically relevant cardiovascular imaging research that translates to better patient management. 

Cardiovascular MRI and CT Imaging:

Unitl recently ultrasound, invasive X-Ray angiography, and nuclear imaging were the main stay of diagnostic imaging procedures to assess cardiovascular disease.  Recent advances have propelled Cardiovascular MRI and CT to play a greater role in diagnostic cardiovascular imaging. 

Cardiac MRI can accurately measure how well the heart pumps blood, how well the valves work, and can delineate the regions of myocardial cell death (viability) with exquisite detail.  Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMRI) can also identify a variety of cardiac muscle related pathologies, and also is useful for assessing coronary artery disease.  For more details, see section on CMRI.

Cardiac CT has emerged as an effective imaging method to non-invasively image coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle), and for imaging thoraco-abdominal structures.  For more details, see section on Cardiac CT.

Cardiovascular MRI:

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging has recently emerged as the “gold standard” in the assessment of heart function - how well the heart is pumping. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging is able to look at the heart in any views without being constraint by the patient’s physique.  The images are very reproducible, enabling physicians to follow patients over time with serial studies.

Another recent advance is the “viability / scar” sequence that allows CMRI to precisely detect any heart damage as a result of heart attack.  The sequence is performed in conjunction with the administration of “gadolinium”, a contrast agent in general is very well-tolerated by patients.  The results are very important to both the Cardiologist and the Cardiac Surgeons, especially in the planning of angioplasty versus coronary bypass surgery.

Due to the unique nature of CMRI, high contrast exists between the blood itself and the supplying vessels.  Blood vessels can be images without the use of contrast agent, however, gadolinium is commonly given to produce superb quality picture with very high resolution and to shorten the examination time.   In fact, in many institutions including ours, MR angiography has replaced traditional invasive angiography in the image of blood supply to the head, limbs as well as the aorta.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imagingcan also use to assess the significance of “narrowing” of the coronary arteries by performing Stress CMRI.  The resolution is better than the widely used modality (Nuclear SPECT).  The information allows the Cardiologist / Cardiac Surgeon to decide how the narrowing is best managed.

As CMRI does not involve any radiation, it is especially suited in the long-term follow-up of patients and disease processes.