Testing for Heart Disease -- 718.780.7830

New York Methodist offers a full range of noninvasive and minimally invasive testing procedures and equipment. Since surgical procedures are not used, pain and side effects are minimal.

Recently our Echocardiography Lab received a two year accreditation from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL). This prestigious organization is dedicated to promoting high quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations.

In addition to conventional tests such as the treadmill stress test, echocardiography, cardiac ultrasound, and Holter monitoring, the following procedures are available:

• Transesophageal Echocardiography
  Available only in major teaching hospitals, this technique involves placing a thin ultrasound probe into the esophagus, thereby allowing the physician to image the heart from a very close distance.
• Pharmacologic Stress Echocardiogram
  This technique involves the intravenous infusion of medication and the use of specialized echocardiographic systems that can detect abnormalities in the motion of the heart wall. This test is especially useful for patients who cannot walk or who are too weak to perform a conventional treadmill test.
• Nuclear Medicine Imaging
  In this procedure, a tracer dose of radioactive material is injected intravenously. As it travels to the heart, a gamma camera picks up the isotope's emmisions to yield an onscreen image. The resulting nuclear scan shows which areas of the heart have insufficient blood flow and the extent of any occlusions. It also helps evaluate cardiac function.
• Cardiac Catheterization
  This procedure involves the insertion of a thin tube into the femoral artery, near the groin. The physician then guides the tube (or catheter) upward and into the aorta, the heart's major artery. A dye is injected through the tube to enable the physician to "see" the entire coronary arterial system on a video monitor. This may reveal the location and extent of any occlusion (narrowing) in the arteries.