What Are the Alternatives for Cardiac Catheterization?
Several tests are available to diagnose or look for possible heart disease. The choice of which and how many tests to perform depends on your history of heart problems and current symptoms.
The alternatives to cardiac catheterization can give general information about problems in your heart, but they do not give the in-depth information that a cardiac catheterization provides. The simplest alternative tests include:
· Echocardiogram or
· Exercise Stress Test.
and proceed to those that are more complicated, such as:
· TEE or transesophageal echocardiogram
· CT Scan or MRI
· Nuclear Scan Stress Test
· Stress Thallium and
· Spiral CT Scanning.
At this time, cardiac catheterization is the most accurate test for looking at your coronary arteries and identifying the location, number and severity of blockages that are affecting your heart muscle. Also cardiac catheterization provides in-depth information about heart valves and heart function.
If you would like more information on any of these alternatives, please press the question button now.
