New stress equipment at Kneibert Clinic

Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- Heart disease is prevalent, but the best equipment to test for it hasn't always been. Dr. Prem Varma said the new stress echocardiogram at Kneibert Clinic is the first one in Poplar Bluff.

"We can make the diagnosis first hand," said Dr. Ken Li. He and Varma are internal medicine specialists and do the testing along with several technologists.

Li said the machine is state-of-the-art.

Varma had pushed for the new Acuson Sequoia Ultrasound for area patients for several reasons: accuracy, immediate results and convenience.

He said the picture shows them several characteristics of the heart, but especially how it pumps.

"It should actually pump better after they run the treadmill," said Varma.

The strength of the contraction should be more pronounced and stronger.

Li said the ultrasound is the step before heart catheterization. It can verify a blocked artery, show the thickness of the wall of the heart, how the muscle squeezes down, the rhythm, valvular leakage, clots or fluid around the heart.

The whole process takes around an hour compared to other tests that can take a half day.

Varma said the technology is relatively new at 5 or 6 years old and gives much more detailed images.

The test with the new ultrasound can alert doctors to problems earlier than they could detect them with other methods.

The initial stress echocardiogram is done on patients who are having pains or other problems or on individuals who have a family history of heart disease. They need to be referred by a physician.

The Acuson Sequoia Ultrasound is in the radiology department at the clinic.