Heart

Heart Imaging & Testing

Advanced cardiac imaging technologies

At NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester (formerly Lawrence Hospital), we offer the following diagnostic heart services in a convenient and medically supervised setting:

• Echocardiograms, in an Echocardiography Laboratory accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiographic Laboratories
• Stress echocardiograms
• Transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE)
• Electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG)
• Stress testing
• Holter monitoring
• Non-invasive arterial Doppler studies

We also offer cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is used to evaluate overall heart function, valvular heart disease, and various forms of congenital heart disease — including atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, and shunts.

Pacemaker-safe MRI

People with conventional pacemakers cannot undergo standard MRI scanning. NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester offers safe MRI for people with pacemakers. A cardiologist, present during the procedure, can set the pacemaker to MRI-safe mode for the scan and restore it to its original setting after the MRI is complete.

Cardiac PET/CT scanning

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging technique that visualizes how organs function. At NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester, we have developed a cardiac PET/CT (computed tomography) program — the first in Westchester County for myocardial perfusion imaging — which offers an alternative to traditional nuclear stress testing for patients experiencing cardiac symptoms such as chest pain. Cardiac PET/CT generates images with a resolution three times greater than the conventional SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) imaging used during nuclear stress testing, yet using only one-tenth of the radiation. This technology enables our doctors to assess:

• Myocardial blood flow to detect coronary artery blockages
• Myocardial blood flow and myocardial flow reserve
• Left ventricular function
• Coronary calcium score

Cardiac PET/CT may be useful for diagnosing coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and other heart problems and help doctors decide if patients require treatment such as medication, angioplasty, or bypass surgery.