Stanford Hospital Implements First 3-D Cardiac Ultrasound

New Technology Allows Doctors to View All Angles of the Heart Non-Invasively

Stanford, CA -- Imagine you feel a pain in your chest, but are unsure what it means. Did you have a heart attack or just a caffeine overload? Stanford Hospital cardiologists are now turning to new 3D cardiac ultrasound images to provide more precise views of all angles of the heart non-invasively. This new technology, an "intelligent" echocardiography system, just arrived, making Stanford Hospital one of the first institutions to purchase this brand new technology for patients.

The "intelligence" built into the system gives new capability in quantifying cardiac function that should lead to much more precise choices in therapy.

"The acquisition of the technology gives us unprecedented ability to visualize the structure and function of the heart. This allows the clinician to assess the heart with dramatically improved accuracy and confidence," said Dr. David Liang, cardiologist at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. "Hopefully this will result in a reduction in need for invasive procedures such as tranesophageal echocardiograms."

Faster image production also leads to shorter appointments for patients, allowing Stanford cardiologists to see more patients who will benefit from this technology. The device, made by Phillips, called the iE33, also gives Stanford cardiologists a way to map out abnormalities of a patient's heart, which is beneficial for pre-surgical planning and monitoring the heart after a surgery. In addition to presenting precise 3D views, the intelligent echocardiography system accurately measures blood volume from each heart beat and measures structure movements to pinpoint weaknesses in heart function.

"The precision and in-depth information we receive from this technology is unmatched and will improve the speed and accuracy of the diagnosis we can give our patients," said Dr. Liang.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is ranked as one of the top 14 hospitals in the nation and is one of the country's premier teaching hospitals. Many Stanford physicians are national leaders in their field, training the nation's top medical students. Stanford is renowned for its team approach to patient care, offering patients the latest advances in treatment and care. For the past four years, consumers in San Francisco and San Jose have selected Stanford as their top hospital of choice. While people come from all over the world to receive care at Stanford, the hospital and its clinics primarily serve people in Bay Area communities around Stanford University. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.stanfordhospital.com.

Source: Stanford Hospital and Clinics