Making confident decisions

The equipment, which is located in the Cardiology Investigations Department, has brought about several positive changes to the working practice within the department and improved patient outcomes. One prime example is a 45 year old female who was referred to the department, by the cardiac consultant, for an echo scan. She had a loud systolic murmur and increasing sob. On scanning the patient using 2D, she was found to have a large mass, filling 80 percent of the left atrium. A cardiac consultant and a surgeon were both called and a suggestion was made to scan the patient using the 3D facility on the iE33, so that the surgeons could ascertain where the mass was attached, that is whether it was anterior mitral valve leaflet or inter-atrial septum.


"Due to the excellent images and the use of cropping facilities, we were able, with confidence, to conclude that the mass was pedunculated at the inter-atrial septal region", says Dr. Cotton. This information was difficult to ascertain from 2D echo alone. All the information gained by the Philips iE33 was confirmed during surgery, and the patient went on to make a full recovery.

Future plans

The acquisition of the iE33 with its 3D imaging has also opened doors into the area of cardiac research and the department is currently conducting several projects using the iE33 system with both 3D and carotid Doppler probes. This ensures that Wolverhampton's Heart and Lung Centre is not only delivering a vital service to the current community, but will continue to do so long into the future. Dr. Cotton feels, "this new piece of cardiac equipment has become an essential part of our cardiac diagnostic future, and with its 3DQ package, dyssynchrony indexing and 3D imagery, the possibilities appear endless."

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