Diagnostic Services

Outpatient Screenings

The Heart Center at Anaheim Regional Medical Center offers our patients outpatient screenings. Many of the diagnostic tests listed below can be done on an outpatient basis. For more information about our services, please contact the Cardiology Department at (714) 999-3951.

Angiogram

An angiogram allows your clinician to view the blood vessels or chambers within your heart.

A catheter (a very small tube) will be inserted into a blood vessel in your upper thigh or into your arm.
Once the tube is inserted, a special dye will be injected into the catheter.
This fluid is visible on X-ray pictures, known as angiograms.

Cardiac Catheterization

A cardiac catheterization, also known as a coronary angiogram, refers to a test that assesses the blood flow within the arteries that supply blood to your heart.Cardiac catheterization will:

Look specifically at blood flow and blood pressure within the chambers of the heart
Assess how well heart valves work
Determine if there are any abnormalities within the heart itself

If a cardiac catheterization shows that you have coronary artery disease, it is possible to determine an exact location of where there is a concentration of plaque (calcium deposits that block blood from flowing through blood vessels).

Echocardiogram (Echo)

An echocardiogram is an imaging test that uses sound waves to check the heart function and anatomy. It is a valuable diagnostic tool to provide information on the heart size, wall thickness, and pumping ability. The echocardiogram identifies structure, thickness, and movement of each heart valve. It helps determine if the valve is normal, scarred, thickened, calcified, or torn. It also assesses artificial heart valve function. An echocardiogram is useful in the diagnosis of fluid in the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart). The test is extremely safe and takes approximately 45 minutes or less.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram records the electrical activity of the heart through small electrode patches that are attached to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs. An ECG can be used to: assess the rhythm of the heart, diagnose poor blood flow to the heart (ischemia), diagnose a heart attack, and evaluate certain abnormalities of the heart.

Electrophysiology Test (EP)

An electrophysiology test is a test that records the electrical activity within the electrical pathways of the heart. During this assessment, your physician will reproduce the abnormal heart rhythm, to record and analyze it. An EP is used to diagnose abnormal heart rhythms because this can tell a physician where the electrical activity is that is causing an abnormal heart rhythm. An EP can also help a physician determine the best course of treatment for the abnormal heart beat.

Endomyocardial Biopsy

This procedure involves removing a small amount of tissue through the use of a catheter that is able to remove tissue. Tissue from within the internal lining may be used by your physician for further analysis of the health of your heart. A biopsy of this nature can help diagnose and treat heart muscle disorders. It can also indicate rejection of a new heart after a heart transplant operation.heat with stethoscope

Holter Monitor

A holter monitor is a machine that is continuously records the heart's rhythms (like a small portable ECG) and is worn for 24-48 hours. Electrodes from the monitor are attached to your skin; you are able to go about your day (except for showering) while the electrodes record your heart rhythm. A holter monitor may be recommended by physicians for individuals who may have an abnormal heart rhythm or if your physician suspects ischemia.

Nuclear Imaging

Small amounts of (non-harmful) radioactive material that is injected into a vein, images can be created that show how blood flows through your heart. Your physician will be able to see: the size of the chambers within your heart, how well each chamber pumps and circulates blood, and any muscular damage to the heart can be detected.

Pacemaker Interrogation

A pacemaker is a device that is implanted into the chest to help control abnormal heart rhythms. Electrical pulses are used to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. A heartbeat that is faster than normal, tachycardia, can be treated with the use of a pacemaker; bradycardia, or a slower than normal heart beat can be treated as well.

Biventricular Pacemaker (Bi-V)

A Biventricular pacemaker is an implanted device that can stimulate (through electrical pulses), manage, and coordinate the beating of the right and left ventricles of the heart (2 of the main chambers of the heart). This type of a pacemaker is normally used for patients who have congestive heart failure that is cause by ventricles that beat out of sync.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

An ICD is similar to a pacemaker. Instead of using low-energy electrical pulses, an ICD can also use high-energy electrical pulses to treat the most dangerous types of arrhythmias.

Stress Test/Treadmill

An exercise stress test helps the doctor find out how well the heart handles work. It records the heart rhythm while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike at a moderate then fast pace. This test helps evaluate the cause of chest pain. It also evaluates the strength of the heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart. These changes can be measured on the electrocardiogram while the patient is exercising and during the recovery phase of the stress test. Small pads called electrodes are placed on the patient's chest to monitor the heart. The patient walks slowly on the treadmill and the speed increases in stages. Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and exercise tolerance are monitored during the test.

A Head-Up Tilt Table

A tilt-table test is used to find the cause of fainting spells. The test involves being tilted at different angles (30 to 60 degrees) while lying flat on a bed for a short period of time, while various machines monitor your blood pressure, electrical impulses in your heart (as measured by an ECG), and oxygen levels.