BRADENTON, Fla. — Doctors in Sarasota and Manatee Counties are using a new non-invasive tool to diagnosis patients with coronary artery disease.
Dr. David Buck, a non-invasive cardiologist, uses the technology at Bradenton Cardiology Center in Manatee County.
The new technology called "HeartFlow FFRCT Analysis" is a diagnostic tool.
Dr. Buck showed ABC Action News how the technology works.
Patients get a standard coronary CT scan and from the CT images, HeartFlow creates a model of the patient's unique coronary anatomy.
"This is the most accurate, non-invasive way to look at people for coronary disease," said Dr. Buck.
The HeartFlow technology gives doctors a color-coded map of the coronary arteries and shows if any narrowings are disrupting blood flow.
"Obtain your images with your CAT scan with contrast and then if the reader, the cardiologist or radiologist thinks that you would benefit from a HeartFlow analysis they can send those images to HeartFlow themselves from anywhere," said Dr. Buck.
Doctors at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Bradenton Cardiology Center are using the technology.
"Believe it or not, blockages more than 30% can yield symptoms and that's where HeartFlow is really accurate," said Dr. Buck.
Dr. Buck said sometimes patients come to see him after experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain.
"This will better answer is this blockage in a coronary, relevant...is it causing symptoms, do we need to consider fixing it?" said Dr. Buck.
Previously, doctors would have to rely on an invasive procedure to determine if a narrowing in the artery was impacting blood flood.
"That’s why we want to spend so much time finding things before there is a major problem, that’s what these tests are designed to do. We don't want to be so late it's an emergency," said Dr. Buck.
For more information visit: www.heartflow.com.
