Noninvasive Lab

Our noninvasive lab, which is certified by Medicare, includes many different procedures that will aid your physician in your diagnosis and care. We have registered cardiac and vascular sonographers who perform the exams, as well as an exercise physiologist with a master's degree who monitors stress testing. Nurse practitioners and registered nurses are on staff to monitor pharmacological stress testing. The physicians who interpret these tests are board certified in cardiology.

The equipment we use is state of the art. Our stress lab includes three treadmills and three ultrasound machines. To evaluate your heart size, structure, and function, or to investigate a heart murmur, your physician might order a resting echocardiogram with cardiac Doppler. This involves lying on your left side on a table while the sonographer moves a high-frequency probe on your chest to evaluate your heart. Sometimes, a physician may need more or different information about your heart; thus, he may order a treadmill stress test, a stress echocardiogram, or a pharmacological stress echocardiogram.

A standard treadmill stress test involves walking on a treadmill and having your heart rate and blood pressure monitored as you walk. A stress echocardiogram is performed by taking ultrasound pictures before you walk on the treadmill and then immediately after you finish your walk. A pharmacological stress echocardiogram is done when a patient is unable to walk. Medication is used to increase the heart rate. These different forms of stress testing are used to evaluate blood pressure and heart rate response, and to indirectly check for blockages in the arteries of the heart. We also offer 24-hour Holter monitors and 30-day event monitors for the evaluation of abnormal heart rhythms.

We perform arterial duplex, venous duplex, and carotid ultrasound. These exams utilize high-frequency sound waves to check for blockages in the vessels of the extremities or the neck arteries. A segmental arterial study, used to evaluate the arteries in the arms or legs, utilizes different equipment with pressure cuffs and Doppler.

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