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“everything by guiding catheters with an X-ray,” For patients, this blending of Retired school
we do is based says Dr. Spears, whose work focuses traditionally separate roles often principal
around how to on patients with irregular heartbeats. means faster diagnosis and less Graham
“For simple X-rays, we’re not talking additional testing. A multimodal Nie (left)
make things about a huge amount of radiation professional can usually speed up reads to his
better for exposure, but, for serious cases, a the process, if further investigation is granddaughter.
patient could easily spend an hour needed. His successful
patients and getting X-rays, and that means a treatment and
for the health- much greater exposure to radiation.” “I can actually arrange for an MRI recovery is
care system. based on identifying an abnormality the result of
Imaging innovations also extend on the echocardiogram (heart leading-edge
this means to how the centre’s health-care ultrasound),” says Dr. Nguyen, “so the innovations in
exploring and professionals hone and apply their patient doesn’t have to wait weeks or imaging and
embracing new expertise. The PMCC is one of the few months.” care at Peter
technologies, sites in the world where cardiology, Munk Cardiac
vascular surgery and radiology are Today, the PMCC continues to Centre.
as well as practised by multimodal professionals lead the way with a wide range of
innovating working in fully integrated teams. innovations in cardiology. Through Embracing new
through new The centre has two cardiologists who the work of Dr. Spears and Dr. technologies
applications work in the the Joint Department Michael Gollob – who is Chair of and innovating
of existing of Medical Imaging (JDMI) - one the PMCC’s Centre of Excellence in is the goal,
technology.” reports magnetic resonance imaging Cardiovascular Molecular Medicine – says Dr.
(MRIs) and CT scans, while another the PMCC is using novel technologies Narinder Paul,
Dr. Narinder Paul, reports MRI scans. The PMCC also in genetic research to determine the Division Chief,
Division Chief, has one radiologist, Dr. Elsie Nguyen, cause of atrial fibrillation, the most Cardiothoracic
who does echocardiography reporting, common form of arrhythmia, as well Radiology,
Cardiothoracic radiology, which uses sound waves to create as the underlying genetic factors that University
University health network moving pictures of the heart. predispose to sudden death in some Health
people with irregular heartbeats. Network.
26 “I’m the only Level III certified “In the last 10 years, my group
radiologist in Canada who does discovered some genes that cause
both cardiac MRI, CT and atrial fibrillation,” says Dr. Gollob.
echocardiography,” says Dr. Nguyen. “The benefit of identifying the genes
“Multimodality imagers are a that cause a condition is that it allows
feature that’s unique to the PMCC. you to know the protein that can be
We’re swapping roles and blurring targeted in developing drug therapy.”
boundaries, so radiology and
cardiology are less separated.” In collaboration with the Joint
Department of Medical Imaging: the
