Cardiac diagnostic services have been utilized at Centegra for more than 20 years. These services are used to discern irregularities of the heart. Most tests are non-invasive and provide accurate reports on heart function and behavior.
The echocardiography lab at Centegra Health System is accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) for its commitment to high-quality patient care and its provision of quality diagnostic testing.
Tilt Table Test
A tilt table test is a non-invasive test to help aide in the diagnosis of common symptoms such as dizziness, loss of consciousness, or changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Continuous monitoring of the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure are performed while standing almost upright on a specialized table.
Echocardiogram (ECHO)
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. This is a half-hour exam that shows the interior structures and walls of the heart as it is beating.
As the first Accredited Chest Pain Center in the region, Centegra Health System is committed to the cardiovascular health of greater McHenry County residents.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)
This test is an alternate way to perform an echocardiogram of the heart. This procedure involves passing a special probe into a patient’s esophagus, while sedated, to view any structural abnormalities of the heart.
Holter Monitor
A holter monitor is a small portable device using electrodes to continuously monitor the heart on a short-term basis, usually between 24 to 72 hours, to evaluate the patient’s heart rate and rhythm. This test is commonly ordered for complaints of palpitations, light headedness, or cardiac arrhythmias.
Event Monitor
An event monitor is a portable device using electrodes to monitor the heart similar to a holter monitor, but often of a longer duration between 10 and 30 days. The monitor only records if an “event” button is pushed to record a symptom. An event monitor is used for patients with less frequent symptoms.
CardioNet MCOT (Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry)
This monitor consists of wearing three electrodes over a period of seven to 30 days. It is commonly used for the detection of cardiac arrhythmias, loss of consciousness, dizziness, or palpitations. The MCOT differs from an event monitor in that there is actual real-time monitoring of the patient’s heart rhythm 24/7 for the duration of the monitor. The MCOT monitor often is worn for a shorter duration than an event monitor since monitoring is continuous, allowing for easier detection in rhythm changes.
Stress Exercise Test
For further evaluation, a stress or exercise tolerance test may be prescribed. The heart’s electrical activity is recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG) during exercise on a treadmill or through medications that induce the heart to act as if the patient were exercising.
Nuclear Medicine Stress Testing
A diagnostic test that allows clinicians to take pictures of the heart by injecting a small amount of a radiopharmaceutical (also called a tracer) while you are exercising and/or resting. These pictures examine the blood flow to the heart, determine the amount of damage to the heart muscle following a heart attack, diagnose the cause of chest pain,
and/or check the health of your heart arteries. To take the pictures, one is positioned flat on a bed. The camera rotates around your chest and is able to detect the tracer absorbed by your heart.
Experience counts in cardiac care. The Centegra Cath Lab team performs more than 1,200 cardiac catheterizations and 400 angioplasty procedures each year.
Angiography
Angiography is a minimally-invasive procedure performed by a highly qualified cardiologist in one of three cardiac catherization labs at the Centegra Heart Center. The physician inserts a catheter (a small, hollow plastic tube) into a blood vessel, injects a contrast fluid (dye) to highlight the blood vessels, and captures images of the highlighted vessels using an x-ray known as fluoroscopic imaging.
Angioplasty
A treatment procedure in which a physician inserts a fluid-filled balloon into a blood vessel, again using a catheter. When inflated, the 
balloon presses the fatty plaques, which were clogging the vessel, against the vessel’s walls. The procedure clears blocked arteries. This helps the physician treat diseases involving reduced blood flow to the heart, such as arteriosclerosis.
During angioplasty, the physician may insert a small metallic tube called a stent. When expanded, this stent helps to keep the blood vessel clear and open. Some stents release medication into the patient’s bloodstream keeping it from re-narrowing.
Electrophysiology
An electrophysiology (EP) study is a procedure which tests the electrical conduction system of the heart to assess its electrical activity and conduction pathways. The study is indicated to investigate the cause, locate the origin, and select best treatment for various abnormal heart rhythms. This type of study is performed by a specially-trained invasive cardiologist, called an electrophysiologist.
To schedule an appointment, call 877-CENTEGRA | (877-236-8347).
