Plans for New Technology to Redefine Cardiac Care at SVMC & Beyond

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is working toward an exciting expansion of diagnostic capabilities, not currently available in the region. Early next year, pending regulatory approvals, SVMC will offer cardiac computed tomography angiography technology. Referred to as cardiac CT, the state-of-the-art imaging device will allow SVMC’s cardiology team to diagnose diseases that cause chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and other conditions onsite and without relying on invasive procedures.

According to Scott Rogge, MD, FACC, the Medical Director at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Cardiology, “This new technology is exciting for several reasons, the most of important of which is the visualization of the coronary arteries, which is far superior to standard CT scanning and will allow for proper diagnosis and treatment. The new 3D scanning technology creates a multidimensional image of the beating heart and enables us to study both sides of the heart, measure how strong the heart is pumping, inspect how different valves are performing, and identify unhealthy tissue and possible blockages. The technology also is used in planning cardiac procedures such as valve replacements and will help cut down on travel for these tests. In addition, it helps us identify and arrange transfer for patients who require invasive procedures.”

Rogge notes that, “Currently, we rely on stress tests and other measures to assess what’s happening within a patient. In some cases, patients must travel out of the area and undergo an invasive procedure. Those procedures carry the risk for bleeding and even stroke. But thanks to this new technology on campus, we can get a clear and real-time image of what’s occurring, which will allow us to direct patients who truly need invasive procedures to the right resources and spare those who don’t.”

To perform a cardiac CT, a dye is injected into the blood stream through an IV. The dye allows doctors to follow the flow of blood as it travels through blood vessels and the heart. The scanner, which uses the lowest-possible radiation dose, captures multiple highly detailed images of the heart from numerous different angles and provides a clear picture of each functional detail of the heart.

The test results will be read by members of SVMC’s cardiology team in collaboration with colleagues at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center who are helping us establish the program.

“Our aim,” says Rogge, “is to be fully up to speed by the time the technology is deployed. Even so, we will lean on our colleagues at DHMC who have extensive experience with cardiac CT to collectively diagnose and treat patients faster.”

Scott Rogge, MD, FACC, the Medical Director at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Cardiology