For Immediate Release: August 30, 2007

Contact: Jean Campbell (217) 544-6464, ext. 44307

Prairie Heart Institute offers advanced ultrasound technology to treat heart disease

SPRINGFIELD – Prairie Heart Institute at St. John’s Hospital now offers patients enhanced access to the latest ultrasound imaging technology for use in the cardiac cath lab. The technology gives cardiologists a cross-sectional view of inside an artery, which allows them to more effectively treat coronary artery disease. 
St. John's is among the first hospitals in Illinois to have the new iLab installed.  The iLab IVUS system is fully integrated into the Cath Lab setting, making it readily available for the cardiologist to use and control.

Using the new iLab Ultrasound Imaging System from Boston Scientific, cardiologists can look inside a vessel and see where an artery wall ends and plaque begins.  The imaging technology, called intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), gives a physician the ability to more precisely identify to degree of obstruction from plaque build up. The technology can identify plaque build up that may not be noticeable on routine angiography.  It also assists the cardiologists in the placement of stents, which are miniscule scaffolding-type devices used to prop open blocked arteries.

“Traditional angiography involves a dye contrast that provides a two-dimensional view of veins and arteries.  With IVUS, we can look inside an artery using a tiny ultrasound camera located at the tip of a catheter,” said Nilesh Goswami, M.D., Prairie Cardiovascular and director of Coronary Care Unit, Prairie Heart Institute.  “By getting an inside look at the artery, we can precisely measure its diameter, see how much plaque is blocking it, and use the appropriate sized stent to restore normal blood flow through a narrowed artery.”

After a stent is placed, IVUS can be used to confirm that it is positioned correctly for optimal patient outcomes.