The information outlined below on common conditions and treatments is provided as a guide only and it is not intended to be comprehensive. Discussion with Dr Saha is important to answer any questions that you may have. For information about any additional conditions not featured within the site, please contact us for more information.
In certain cases when structural problems with the heart are suspected, a Cardiac MRI scan may be useful. Cardiac MRI uses magnetic resonance and a special dye to produce detailed imaged of the heart. The pictures produced are very useful to help decide for example, the size of holes in the heart, whether a heart muscle disorder ( or “cardiomyopathy”) exists, or the extent of any damage to the heart muscle.
Having an MRI
This procedure is undertaken in one of our partner facilities in Oxford or Bristol. This involves lying flat on your back and passing into a large circular magnet. It does not use X-rays, and a special dye needs to be injected via a small needle in the back of your hand. You may need to hold your breath, and the procedure can be a little claustrophobic.
If we are interested in determining whether the blood supply to the heart is adequate, we sometimes use a drug called adenosine, which causes very short lived symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath. It can also make your heart slow down. When we use this drug the test is called a “Stress cardiac MRI” or “Stress CMRI” scan.The result of this scan informs the need for a further test- a coronary angiogram.
What Happens after
Once the images have been processed and the specialist has formed the report your cardiologist will tell you the result to you along with any recommendations for treatment.
Discussion with Dr Saha is important to answer any questions that you may have. For information about any additional symptoms you may be suffering from that are not featured within the site, please contact us for more information.
