Apollo Hospital has installed the latest cardiac diagnostic equipment, the aquilion one prism 640-slice CT scanner, in the city.
The non-invasive equipment will allow for one-stop assessment of heart function, blood supply to the heart and heart muscle function. It can also be used for specialties such as oncology, neurology and paediatric problems, the hospital officials said.
Health minister C. Vijaya Baskar, who commissioned the scanner on Wednesday, said, “It is a matter of pride that Apollo Hospitals continues to bring the latest and best of medical technology to the State and country for the benefit of patients here.”
Hospital founder and chairman Prathap C. Reddy said the new equipment was another step towards making the country ‘atma-nirbhar’ by providing world-class treatment in the country at a fraction of the cost. The new equipment would image the entire heart in less than a third of a second to allow rapid diagnosis, he said.
“The speed ensures there is no delay in either discharging the patient if there are no problems or taking decisions for treatment course in case of coronary artery disease. If the problem is mild then follow up can be continued. The other advantage is that it enhances patient safety as they are exposed to lower radiation levels,” he said.
The advanced Aquilion One Prism CT is quick enough to take an image in between two heart beats. It is extremely easy to use and covers the whole heart in one rotation, which also makes it feasible for cardiac perfusion studies. The coronary CT and entire aortogram can be done together. The images produced by the scanner are crisp and clear and hence make the diagnosis very accurate, he added.
Hospital vice chairperson Preetha Reddy said, “With the latest advances in medical technology, we are now in an era of non-invasive diagnosis and minimally invasive treatments for heart disease. Cardiac CT allows us to rule out heart disease with 99% accuracy and avoid more invasive testing. In early cases of heart disease, patients can be started on preventive therapy and management, while patient with moderate to advanced heart disease that may lead to a heart attack, can be immediately referred for an angiogram, stenting or even surgery as required.”
Ms. Suneeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The new CT-scanner is about using technology to optimise patient care through accelerated clinical decision-making for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.”
