MDNews - Central New York

New York Heart Center: Reducing Radiation, Detecting Heart Disease To idenTify poTenTially lifeThreaTening signs of hearT disease, specialisTs aT The new york hearT cenTer uTilize sTaTe-of-The-arT diagnosTic imaging scans ThaT expose paTienTs To The lowesT possible levels of radiaTion. T He New YoRk HeaRt ceNteR is the only medical facility in Central New York providing in-house, low-dose coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with calcium scoring, low-radiation positron emission tomography (PET) as well as UltraSPECT���s half-dose, half-time radiation processing for single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging. Following the principle of delivering radiation at ���as low as reasonably achievable��� levels, the New York Heart Center has invested in the most advanced scanners and software that further limit amounts of radiation exposure to its patients, providing the safest possible methods for the early detection of various types of heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, accounting for nearly 600,000 fatalities each year. Daniel Fuleihan, M.D., FACC, notes the dilemma in treating heart disease is it doesn���t typically provide second chances. ���The risks from cardiac disease far outweigh the potential risks associated with radiological procedures,��� says Dr. Fuleihan. ���However, to further minimize the risk potential, that���s where the low-dose radiation technology comes in. The radiological procedure James Connelly, M.D., FACC, is based at the NYHC Auburn location. 8 | Central New York MD News ��� mdNewS.com NYHC���s 64-slice CT scanner features advanced technology that produces split-second, high-quality images. This allows doctors to see more detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. should be performed with concern for the amount of radiation delivered to the patient, which is why we try to limit it.��� finding the Right dose The New York Heart Center���s Philips Brilliance CT 64-slice scanner provides its clinicians with high-quality visualization of arterial anatomy in less time than allowed by previous CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies. John Taylor, RT(R)CT, CT technologist at New York Heart Center, notes the technology, in conjunction with a physicist charged with testing patient dose, equipment function and protocols, ensures radiation exposure is significantly below New York Department of Health guidelines. Equipped with cutting-edge Dose Right Automatic Current Selection technology, the Philips CT scanner takes two preliminary views of the patient to record the patient���s body size. This enables specific radiation dosing tailored to each patient���s body size, Taylor explains. ���It���s no longer ���one size fits all,������ he says. ���Everything is adjusted exactly to the size of the patient. When a scan is directed through the chest to image the patient, we���ll use an extremely low dose. As the scan moves to the abdomen ��� keep in mind that many patients weigh between 250 and 300 pounds ��� the dose will increase because we still need to get enough radiation through to get diagnostic images.��� Each time an image is captured, Dose Right parameters are saved to the scanner itself, giving clinicians an accurate starting point in the future for similarly sized patients. ���If I get an acceptable image, we save the Dose Right value for that picture and save the image right to the scanner,��� Taylor says. ���We apply that amount of radiation to every patient we scan who shares a particular body type. This technique gets just enough

• Cover