Advanced Cardiac Imaging

Cardiac MRI and Cardiac PET scans – the most advanced imaging tests to diagnose heart disease and typically only available at large university hospitals – are now taking place at Berkshire Medical Center.

Previously, patients in need of these latest diagnostic tools were sent to Boston. Now, with the arrival of Vikas Veeranna, MD, and Peter W. Shaw, MD, a broad spectrum of cardiology patients in need of comprehensive heart evaluations can now have these tests performed at BMC.

Dr. Veeranna is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, and is fellowship trained in Cardiovascular Diseases and in Advanced Cardiac Imaging.

Dr. Shaw is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, and is fellowship trained in General Cardiovascular Medicine and in Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging.

A cardiac MRI is a safe and painless procedure that takes place in a typical MRI machine. Patients lie down on a moveable table that slides into the MRI machine. What differentiates this test is specialized software used to capture the highest-quality images, and the expertise of the cardiologist who is trained to examine them.

Cardiac MRI aids in the diagnosis of:

• Coronary artery disease
• Pericardial disease
• Heart tumors
• Heart valve disease
• Heart muscle disease, called cardiomyopathy
• Heart disease you were born with, called congenital heart disease

A Cardiac PET scan is a very accurate way to diagnose coronary artery disease and detect areas of low blood flow in the heart. During the test, the cardiologist and technicians will place electrodes on the patient’s chest, arms and legs and an intravenous line in the arm through which tracer will be injected.