Loyola Pioneers New Way of Looking at the Heart

Loyola University Medical Center is the first hospital in the country to use a new ultrasound system that gives cardiologists a remarkable 3-D image of the heart.

Doctors are using the new system during catheter procedures that treat heart rhythm disorders.

The system has several advantages over standard imaging techniques that use X-rays and CT scans.

Ultrasound provides a much more precise image of the heart than two-dimensional X-rays. And unlike CT scans, ultrasound images are done in real time.

“It’s more convenient, too. The patient does not have to come in a day or more before the procedure to get a CT scan. Consequently, the patient is exposed to less radiation," said Dr. David Wilber, director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Division of Cardiology and a professor of cardiovascular sciences at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

"This is a real breakthrough in making these procedures safer, more precise and less taxing on the patient," Wilber said.