Heart patients in Northeast Georgia now have access to cutting-edge testing that could help detect a rare but potentially deadly infection—without leaving the region.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville is the first hospital in Northeast Georgia to offer PET/CT imaging to diagnose endocarditis in pacemaker or implantable defibrillator wire leads. The advanced technology improves doctors’ ability to catch hard-to-diagnose infections that may not show up on traditional tests.
“As patients’ life expectancy is significantly improved with these devices, the chances of infections involving the devices has also increased,” said Dr. Vedang Bhavsar, a cardiologist with Georgia Heart Institute and medical director of Echo/Vascular and Nuclear Cardiology Imaging for Northeast Georgia Health System. “If results from other tests are unclear, this PET/CT imaging protocol could literally be a lifesaver for some patients.”
The entire process can be handled on-site at NGMC Gainesville, giving patients streamlined access to both testing and treatment under the care of their cardiologist…