Cardiac MRI at Highgate Hospital

We are pleased to announce we offer Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Cardiac MRI) through our Imaging department at Highgate Hospital.

All scans are performed by Senior Specialist Radiographers and are directly supervised by an extensively trained Consultant Cardiologist with a sub-speciality in cardiac Imaging.

Cardiac (heart) MRI images allow physicians to better determine the presence of certain diseases that may not be as easily seen with other imaging methods such as x-rays or ultrasoundss. This makes MRI an invaluable tool in the early diagnosis and evaluation of cardiac abnormalities, especially those involving the heart muscle.

Cardiac MRI helps:

• evaluate the anatomy (structure) and function of the heart chambers, valves, major vessels, and surrounding structures such as the pericardium (the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart)
• diagnose a variety of cardiovascular (heart and/or blood vessel) disorders such as tumours, infections, and inflammatory conditions
• detect and evaluate the effects of coronary artery disease such as limited blood flow to the heart muscle and scarring within the heart muscle after a heart attack
• plan a patient’s treatment for cardiovascular disorders
• monitor a patient’s progression over time
• evaluate the anatomy of the heart and blood vessels in children with congenital (present from birth) heart disease.

Using cardiac MRI, doctors can:

• examine the size of the heart chambers and the thickness of the heart wall
• determine the extent of myocardial (heart muscle) damage and the effect on pump function caused by a heart attack or progressive heart disease
• detect the build-up of plaque and blockages in blood vessels
• assess a patient’s recovery following treatment
• evaluate the heart anatomy, pump function, heart valve function and vascular blood flow both before and after surgical repair of congenital cardiovascular disease in children and adults.