Advanced diagnostic heart images

Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano Outpatient Services offers imaging, including cardiovascular CT and cardiac MRI, on an outpatient basis for Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano.

Here, our technologists are specially trained to ensure the most accurate diagnostic imaging to allow the Plano heart physicians to make clinical decisions with a higher degree of accuracy than ever before.

Cardiovascular CT imaging services

  • Coronary CT angiography for evaluation of coronary arteries and coronary bypass grafts
  • CT visceral adiposity screening
  • 3D CT angiography of the heart for structural heart disease evaluation and procedural planning
  • 4D CT angiography of the heart for valvular heart disease evaluation and procedural planning
  • Vascular CT angiography (carotid arteries, aorta, renal arteries and peripheral arteries)
  • Semi-automated maximum intensity projection (MIP) images

A picture of your heart in less than a second

That’s exactly what new CT technology delivers.

In 0.28 seconds, the Revolution CT acquires your entire cardiac data set, allowing physicians to make faster clinical decisions with a higher degree of accuracy than before. The scanner's advanced technology virtually "freezes" the heart and coronary arteries, producing images of outstanding quality.

Additional benefits of this kind of heart imaging include:

  • Significantly reduced radiation dose
  • Noise reduction as a result of whisper drive technology

Cardiac MRI services

  • Cardiac morphology, function and viability
  • Cardiomyopathy evaluation
  • General full-body MRI
  • Velocity flow mapping for the assessment of valvular heart disease

Additional cardiovascular imaging services

  • General X-ray services
  • CT calcium score screening
  • 2D and 3D echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound)
  • Contrast-enhanced echocardiography
  • Stress echocardiography
  • Cardiac exercise stress testing
  • Cardiac nuclear imaging
  • Nuclear stress test
  • Multiple gated acquisition (MUGA) imaging
  • Thallium cardiac viability imaging
  • Vascular ultrasound
  • Duplex arterial/Venous doppler ultrasound
  • Carotid doppler ultrasound
  • Ankle brachial index (ABI)
  • Pulmonary function testing
  • Living for Zachary Heart Screening

Prep Instructions

​​​​​​​​​​​​​The following information is provided to help patients prepare for specific diagnostic imaging tests and procedures.

Cardiac echo or vascular ultrasound

No preparation needed.

Cardiac stress echo/Stress tests

  • Take medicines as normal
  • No food for four hours prior to your appointment
  • No caffeine for minimum 12 hours prior to your appointment
  • Wear loose comfortable clothing

CT scan

Calcium scores

No preparation needed

Low-dose chest CT screening

No preparation needed

Any CT Angiogram or CT with contrast:

  • No food for four hours prior to your appointment time
  • Recommended: drink plenty of water the day prior to your appointment
  • May drink some water the day of the appointment
  • CTA Coronary or CTA Heart may not have caffeine 24 hours prior to testing

Diabetic instructions:

  • Do not take Metformin the day of the appointment
  • Do not take any medications with Metformin (Glucophage) for 48 hours after the intravenous contrast injection
  • Contact your physician prior to resuming this medication
  • Nuclear medicine

    MUGA scan

    No preparation needed

    Viability scan

    No food for a minimum of four hours prior to appointment

    Nuclear stress test:

    • Patient should continue cardiac medications unless otherwise directed by their physician
    • No food for a minimum of four to six hours prior to the appointment
    • No caffeine for a minimum of 12 hours prior to appointment

    Pulmonary function test

    • Can have a light meal (breakfast/lunch) prior to the appointment
    • No caffeine four hours prior to the appointment
    • No breathing medication four hours prior to the appointment. If breathing becomes too difficult, please use an inhaler

    Renal ultrasound

    Do not eat six to eight hours prior to your appointment.