Imaging specialist backs Beating Hearts in Bradford campaign (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Imaging specialist backs Beating Hearts in Bradford campaign

12:53pm Saturday 4th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Even within the specialism of cardiology, Bradford’s six consultant cardiologists have specific areas of interest and for Dr Sudantha Bulugahapitiya – or Dr Bulu as he is happy to be known – that interest is imaging.

No matter how good the doctors are, if they can’t see a problem they can’t diagnose and treat it, and that is why Dr Bulu is calling on people in Bradford to help fund a new 3D echocardiograph machine for Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The machine is used to carry out a specialised test which looks at the structure of a patient’s heart and the Beating Hearts in Bradford Appeal, being run by the British Heart Foundation, with the support of the Telegraph & Argus, aims to raise a total of £105,000 to bring this latest technology to Bradford.

“Essentially this new piece of equipment gives a 3D visual of the heart using cardiac ultrasound,” said Dr Bulu.

“The old machine gives a 2D picture of the heart and there is no depth. This new scanner gives 3D pictures of the beating heart in real time, which gives us extra information about heart function and tells us about problems with heart valves.

“For patients planned to have heart valve surgery, you get much more details of the leaky value or damaged value, which is useful for planning the surgery.

“For patients with heart failure we can see how poorly they are and plan the timing of surgery. For cancer patients on herceptin, a drug that can affect heart function, this would allow us to scan periodically and they would not have to stop treatment.

“We must keep pace with advancing technology – if you slip then you have patients that lose out.

“We owe it to our patients not to let that happen.”

e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk

• How you can help

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)