North Oaks Diagnostic Cardiology Services
Screening for common heart conditions is often the first step in heart care.
The wide range of diagnostic tests available at North Oaks allows customized
testing for each patient, ensuring an accurate diagnosis as quickly and
as cost effectively as possible.
Some of the more common diagnostic tests available at North Oaks include:
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Calcium Scoring: This is a test involving 64-slice CT imaging that can predict coronary
artery disease, as well as a patient’s level of cardiac risk, with
greater than 90% accuracy. A high calcium score indicates that the patient
is at high risk of suffering a cardiac event.
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Computerized Tomography Angiography (CTA): This is a noninvasive procedure using CT imaging to screen for vascular
and heart disease, as well as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
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EKG: This test measures the heart’s electrical impulses in order to detect
a heart attack or other abnormalities.
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Echocardiogram: This is an ultrasound that examines heart function and its chambers, valves
and blood flow.
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Stress Test or “Treadmill”: This test measures how well the heart works during exercise. It can detect
ischemia – or decreased blood flow in the arteries that supply the
heart – and it helps medical providers understand the type and level
of exercise appropriate for the patient.
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Nuclear Scan: A nuclear scan indicates how well blood flows to the heart muscle.
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Diagnostic Catheterization: This is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat some heart conditions.
During this test, a medical provider inserts a thin plastic tube, or catheter,
into an artery in the arm, neck or leg. Through the catheter, your physician
can do a variety of diagnostic tests and treatments on your heart.
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Interventional Catheterization: Catheterization can also be used to treat heart problems. One example of
this is angioplasty, which involves using a deflated balloon at the end
of a catheter. The balloon is inflated at the point of the blockage to
widen an artery. A stent may be used to prop open the artery to improve
blood flow.
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Patent Foramen Ovale Closure (PFO): This is a structural heart disease treatment to close a hole (called a
foramen ovale) between the heart’s upper two chambers (called atria).
It helps reduce the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke (when a blood clot
blocks or plugs an artery leading to the brain), predominantly in individuals
between ages of 18 and 60 years, who have had a cryptogenic stroke (a
cerebral ischemia of obscure or unknown origin).
Schedule an Appointment
Call North Oaks Patient Scheduling at (985) 230-7777 between 7 am and 5:30 pm.
Related Content
Where Are Diagnostic Cardiology Services Provided?
Please see the list below of North Oaks locations that offer Diagnostic
Cardiology services.