Desert Springs Hospital Cath Lab Supervisor, Ric Miller, left, and Scott Kushner, RN, review a patient's results on the hospital's new intravascular ultrasound machine.

Cardiologists at Desert Springs Hospital are now using the latest imaging equipment to dramatically enhance the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease.

For decades, angiography has been the most effective diagnostic tool available. This form of imaging involves injecting a contrast dye into patients and using an X-ray system to view blood flow. But angiography produces silhouette-like images from outside the body that often don't give physicians a correct or complete picture of a patient's underlying disease.

Desert Springs Hospital is the only hospital in Nevada equipped with the latest version of a sophisticated imaging system called intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). When using IVUS, physicians insert a small catheter into the body and thread it to the coronary arteries. The catheter contains a tiny device called a transducer that emits and receives sound waves. These waves are translated into 3-D images.

"IVUS shows us images from inside the coronary arteries," says Carlos Fonte, MD, a cardiologist at Desert Springs Hospital. "With IVUS, we get more accurate information that helps us make better decisions about a patient's care."

Dr. Fonte says IVUS is an advanced diagnostic tool that:

• Shows the size of the artery and helps distinguish between the different types of blockages
• Gives precise measurements so physicians can select the appropriate sizes for the angioplasty devices, such as stents or balloons, used in cardiac procedures
• Helps physicians determine the effectiveness of the angioplasty procedure, which has been shown to predict future recurrence

"IVUS can impact the type of care cardiac patients receive as well as the outcome of that care," says Dr. Fonte.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106