Holy Name Medical Center
718 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, N.J. 07666
201-907-2040
holyname.org
Beds: 361 plus
Leadership: Michael Maron, president and CEO;
Dr. Tariqshah Syed, chief of cardiology
Noteworthy: Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) provides clear, detailed images of the heart to help physicians detect plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, congenital heart disease, heart valve problems, tumors and aortic aneurysms before a serious cardiac event happens.
What They Say: Holy Name continues its legacy of innovation, with the latest, most advanced cardiac imaging technology: photon-counting CT. This next-generation CT scanner provides higher-resolution, dramatically improving clarity while at the same time lowering radiation dose. PCCT enables health care providers to assess complex areas like the heart with superior accuracy, particularly in determining the need for further procedures, such as cardiac catheterization.
Photon-counting CT is a revolutionary new technology where the X-ray photons can be directly converted to electrical signals. In comparison to the traditional CT technology where X-rays were converted to light and then to electric signals in a two-step process, this single step process of PCCT decreases noise, increases spatial resolution while decreasing radiation dose. Holy Name is among the few hospitals worldwide, and one of only two in Northern New Jersey, offering PCCT technology for cardiac imaging.
“This advancement is changing the standard of care for cardiac and coronary imaging,” Dr. Jeffrey Goldman, radiologist at Holy Name said. “CCTA with PCCT increases the accuracy of non-invasive imaging of the heart. This new technology allows us to confidently rule out blocked arteries, especially in patients with high calcifications, avoiding the need for invasive tests, improving patient care, reducing wait times,and allowing us to start treatment sooner.”
At Holy Name we are combining high resolution CCTA with new artificial intelligence analysis. After a patient undergoes a PCCT scan, the resulting image is uploaded to the AI platform which quantifies coronary artery plaque buildup. This coronary plaque score can be used to assess the risk for heart disease to guide future treatment. The combination of photon counting CT and artificial intelligence allows for a new treatment paradigm for personalized risk assessment and treatment of cardiac disease before patients are symptomatic.
