By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has introduced a new technology which can take pictures and simultaneously intervene in the brain, heart and blood vessels.
A first-of-its-kind lab in the region has been set up at the Hamad General Hospital (HGH) and the machine, located in the Paediatric Catheterization Laboratory will offer cardiology, neurology and vascular intervention for children and adults.
The equipment produces high quality images with lowest radiation. It also produces images from CT Scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and live echocardiogram (Echo). In echocardiogram, it combines both echocardiography and angiography simultaneously, said Dr Hesham Al Saloos, paediatric cardiologist at HMC.
“The machine can be used as a diagnostic tool to take pictures to diagnose problems of the heart, brain and vessels. It can also be used for intervention,” he said. If there is a hole in the heart, it can close it without a surgery, and can open up a narrow valve, he added.
“For vascular, it can open up vessels. For the brain it can treat stroke in a secluded area. If there is aneurysm (enlarged artery), it can be treated without opening up the brain,” he added. The machine can handle between five and seven patients a day and it depends on the condition of the patient and the complexity of the procedure.
The Peninsula
