Recent Advances In Management Of Heart Diseases

Over the past couple of years significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and management of various heart diseases. While many of the previously available diagnostic techniques have been refined, new technologies have emerged which result in better characterisation of abnormalities in the structure and function of heart.

- Dr.Naresh Trehan

 Simultaneously exciting new treatment modalities have emerged and have been incorporated in routine clinical practice. Together these advances translate into faster and more accurate diagnoses and better and less invasive treatment options.

Diagnostic Modalities:

Echocardiography has been with us several years now and has proved to be an invaluable tool. Here too newer softwares have been added which give far more accurate information about the structural and functional abnormalities of the heart and also help us in assessing the prognosis of patients. It is now possible to more accurately define various diseases of heart muscles and also various valvular and intracardiac structural defects. This information is of great help to surgeons as they can plan the operative procedure beforehand.

Coronary CT angio machines have become much more accurate and give much less radiation to patients now. Early detection of coronary artery disease is now possible in several vulnerable individuals who may have no symptoms and there treadmill test may be normal. Patients with long standing diabetes and patients who have a family history of premature heart disease are some of the examples of those who can vastly benefit from this technology. Cardiac MRI has established its value in various heart muscle diseases where previously the diagnosis was not easy.