'Better view of heart' with 3D scan
27 Jul 10
A leading cardiologist has claimed that a new technology, which enables doctors to "slice" 3D images of the heart into sections using computer software, can help detect cardiac defects more accurately.
The multiplane review (MPR) 3D echocardiography allows the user to see the three dimensions of the heart move simultaneously.
Consultant congenital cardiologist Dr Joseph Vettukattil pioneered its development at Southampton General Hospital, Hampshire, to detect congenital abnormalities in the heart.
He said: "You can chop the heart into small pieces and see what is wrong and exactly where it is wrong on the screen.
"By using MPR, because you are slicing and seeing it in three different planes, you can get a clear understanding of a patient - especially in a child whose heart is congenitally malformed.
"The most important aspect is the operator's ability to slice the dynamic cardiac structures in infinite sections through all the three dimensions, which was not possible before we developed MPR 3D echocardiography."
Dr Vettukattil said the new technique, which allows doctors to identify heart defects more accurately than on traditional 2D or standard 3D scans, is expected to eventually replace magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for most aspects of cardiac imaging.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
http://www.suht.nhs.uk/GettingHere/SGH/GettingtoSouthamptonGeneralHospital.aspx (Southampton General Hospital)
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