Can you
believe that your heart ailments can be diagnosed in just
five seconds? Yes, this is possible now. Thanks to the new
state-of-the-art light speed volume CT system which has been
installed at the Delta Heart Center here.
The light
speed 64-slice volume CT, which costs Rs. 6 crore, is the
first of its kind in the region. As a matter of fact, there
are only five or six such machines available in the country,
including three in Delhi.
The light
speed 64-slice multi-detector CT is a break through in
investigative radiology for detecting coronary artery
disease. Besides, this machine can capture the image of any
organ of the body and help in diagnosis of cancer and
neurological problems.
According to
Dr. J. S. Gill, managing director Delta Heart Centre,
coronary artery disease is the single largest cause of
morbidity. The need of time is a non-invasive and outpatient
investigation that accurately diagnosis coronary artery. The
CT coronary angiography plays this role to perfection,
claims Dr. Gill.
He says that
all images required for a CT coronary angiogram are
obtai8ned in five seconds. Moreover, the patient is free to
continue his daily routine. The arteries are evaluated for
narrowing, blockage, and presence of different varieties of
plaque. The status of the various chambers of heart, cardiac
muscle and the main vesels carrying blood to and from the
heart can also be easily seen. It is helpful in evaluating
postoperative grafts and stents.
Hailing the
installation of the machine, Dr. Livtar Singh Chawla,
founder vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health
Sciences, and a leading physician of the north, say that
this system will be a boon for Punjab as the Punjabis have
the highest incidence of coronary artery disease. Moreover,
this system will have a non-invasive technique and is safer.
Dr. Chawla
maintains that the machine will give a clear picture of the
lungs, heart, brain or bone.
