UT Houston cardiology program at LBJ General Hospital expands with state-of-the-art CT scanner
HOUSTON – (July 14, 2009)— The University of Texas Medical School at Houston cardiology program at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital is expanding, providing patients with a new 64-slice CT (computed tomography) scanner that could reduce medical costs and help cardiologists more effectively choose the best course of treatment.
Image produced by 64-slice CT scanner
“This new technology is important for a number of reasons,” said Michael W. Bungo, M.D., professor of medicine at the UT Medical School at Houston. “Right now, if we think a patient has a blockage, we have to transport them to Ben Taub General Hospital where there is a catheterization (cath) lab. We do not have one at LBJ. It’s an invasive procedure. With the 64-slice CT scanner, we will be able to get clear pictures of the heart to pinpoint the problem. The patient may not even have to have a procedure. Because our nuclear camera is also at capacity, this could help replace some of the cases where we would have had to order a nuclear scan.”
The new scanner provides 64-slice images, each ½ mm thick, per rotation. It only takes about a third of a second to make one rotation. For patients with severe pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure, this is a breakthrough. It means they will only have to hold their breath for about 15 seconds for the machine to get clear images of the heart. The high resolution allows physicians to see the entire coronary tree with extremely high accuracy and detail. Calcification can be seen easily and factored into a treatment plan for disease management.
Bungo added that the number of patients treated at the Harris County Hospital District’s LBJ General Hospital with documented or potential heart disease is disproportionately high due to the ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population. “We have a vital need at LBJ for this technology. It is cost effective. One cardiac CT scan costs about $1,500. The cost of a procedure in the cath lab can run about $10,000,” he said.
“I am grateful to the Harris County Hospital District for acquiring cardiac CT imaging technology that will improve the diagnostic process for a wide range of heart and vascular disorders,” said Steven D. Brown, M.D, professor of medicine and chief of staff at LBJ General Hospital. “Also, I am grateful for Dr. Mike Bungo’s leadership in implementing this technology.”
“This is also a great asset to the teaching program at LBJ. Our residents and fellows will now have access to state-of-the-art crystal clear images of the heart,” said John P. Higgins, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at LBJ General Hospital. “It will help them create better treatment plans and give them more experience in imaging.”