Nonivansive Cardiovascular Imaging Program

The Department of Diagnostic Radiology atYale-New Haven Hospital provides comprehensive imaging and image-guided interventional procedures throughout the cardiovascular system. Trained specialists in cardiac CT perform imaging examinations to measure the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries and to assess the total plaque burden and distribution in the coronary arteries.

The cardiac MRI program atYale-New Haven Hospital was accredited recently by the American College of Radiology (ACR).This distinction makesYale-New Haven Hospital one of only a handful of hospitals in the country to be accredited in cardiac MRI.Among many criteria,ACR accreditation in cardiac MRI requires strict standards for education and training of its physicians and technologists, as well as strict requirements for quality control and MRI safety thatYale-New Haven Hospital far exceeds.Cardiac MRI shows clear, detailed images of the heart and examines the size, thickness, viability of the heart muscle and function of the chambers.

Interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons with special expertise in endovascular therapy,provide a full range of venous and arterial image-guided procedures.These include catheter-based angiography, angioplasty, and new technologies for restoring circulation.

Venous access procedures and procedures specific to the vascular care of the dialysis patient are also performed commonly by these specialists.Working collaboratively, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons see patients in an outpatient setting and work together to meet the growing demand for inpatient and outpatient vascular interventional services.

Vascular imaging atYale-New Haven Hospital is performed regularly with duplex and color Doppler ultrasound in a dedicated vascular ultrasound laboratory that is integrated with the outpatient vascular surgery clinic.Vascular diagnosis and treatment planning is done in a collaborative,multi-disciplinary environment that involves vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and vascular ultrasound specialists. These services are complemented by state-of-the-art CT angiography and MR angiography services.Although both CT and MR angiography may be used to assess the central and peripheral vasculature, vascular imaging specialists triage cases to the best imaging modality.Moreover, these physicians supervise the technical performance of the examination and perform timely and accurate interpretive services.

— James A. Brink, MD Chairman, Diagnostic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine
Chief, Diagnostic Radiology, Yale-New Haven Hospital