Cardiology.
Full Healthy Heart Assessment all under 1 roof.
3fivetwo Healthcare make it easier for you to take control of your cardiac health with our cardiac assessment packages which have combined all the diagnostic modalities under 1 roof, making them accessible with minimal delay.
Scotland & Northern Ireland in particular have one of the highest rates of death from heart disease in the world - in the UK alone one British adult dies from the disease every three minutes
In a healthy patient, the heart pumps blood around the body carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the vital organs. When this process is interrupted, or does not work properly, serious illness and even death can result. The risk of heart disease is greater for people with poor diet, high levels of stress in their life, those who are overweight, smoke and those of us who do not exercise on a regular basis. Men are more likely to suffer from heart disease than women. 40% of heart disease is not explained by the conventional risk factors outlined above and sudden death can be the first symptom in 25% of patients.
These diagnostic modalities include
- ECG and Stress ECG
- Echocardiography
- Treadmill
- Cardiac Event Recording
- 24 Blood Pressure Recording
- 24 Holter Monitoring (ECG)
- CT Calcium Scoring
- CT Coronary Angiography
Cardiac CT scanning
At 3fivetwo we have just recently installed a state of the art Philips Brilliance 64 channel CT scanner with essence technology. This is our jewel in the crown. You can be assured that if clinically justified, you will be scanned with the latest technology available and at the one of the lowest possible doses in Ireland. The CT examination takes approximately 20 minutes in total. A small needle is inserted usually into your arm and then a contrast media or "dye" is injected as your heart passes through the CT scanner. Your head will remain outside the scanner which reduces the feeling of claustrophobia.
The new Essence CT scanner technology is so sensitive that it will detect the earliest signs of calcium build up in the coronary arteries which can be the first signs of heart disease which we see long before the typical symptoms manifest themselves to the full extent. There are numerous studies that have shown that there is a direct relationship between the amount of calcium and the likelihood of a coronary event. Until the introduction of cardiac CT the gold standard for early detection of coronary atheroma was the coronary angiogram performed in a hospital cardiac catheterisation lab. This was a relatively complex procedure which resulted in hospital stays of several hours at minimum and often overnight. Detecting the coronary artery disease early means it can be managed easier with the relevant action taken before its too late to prevent muscle damage or save a life.
Your experience in the scanner is now greatly improved as 3fivetwo have installed the first lighting system of it's kind in clinical use in Ireland. The walls are free from the usual clutter of a hospital scanning suite and instead are replaced by the calming effect of Philips Ambilight. The entire room is awash with colours taking your mind away from the procedure and helping you focus for a few short moments on the most important thing in the room...you.
When the scan is complete both a Radiologist and a Cardiologist will read your scans and the results will be with the referring Doctor within 48hrs
