Cardiovascular Lab at Our Canyon Park, Renton, and First Hill Clinics

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Pacific Medical Centers is pleased to offer patients the services of its cardiovascular laboratory. The lab performs noninvasive diagnostic ultrasound procedures that help diagnose various forms of heart and blood vessel, or vascular, disease.

So that patients may live their best lives, the PacMed cardiovascular laboratory is committed to excellence in screening, diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac and vascular disease. Our laboratory is accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) and the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL), and all our sonographers are active registrants of the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). By pursuing excellence, we ensure the highest standards of quality and commitment to superior clinical care for our communities.

The cardiovascular laboratory services are available at our Canyon Park, First Hill and Renton clinics.

Jeffrey Gibbs, MD, FACC

Joshua Buckler, MD, FACC

Philip Massey, MD

Cardiovascular Laboratory Team

Cardiovascular Laboratory Medical Director Jeffrey S. Gibbs, MD, FACC, is a board-certified cardiologist and credentialed with Registered Physicians Vascular Interpretation.

Our interpreting physicians include Joshua Buckler, MD, FACC and Philip Massey, MD. Dr. Massey is also the Medical Director of our Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory.

The Technical Director is Joleen D. Rodriguez, RDCS, RVT. Our Sonographers are Timothy Carmody, RVT; Gary Miller, RDCS, RVT; and Jesse Navarro, RDCS.

The cardiovascular laboratory is staffed by specially trained registered nurses and medical assistants who assist our cardiologists and sonographers in performing a wide variety of tests to determine the best treatment options for patients. The staff also works to help patients understand what will happen during the tests and make them feel comfortable during the procedure.

Procedures Performed

Cardiac ultrasound procedures include:

• Echocardiography
• Contrast echocardiography
  o Left ventricular opacification
  o Saline bubble study
• Stress testing
  o Echocardiography, both treadmill and pharmacological
  o Non-imaging treadmill test
  

Vascular ultrasound procedures include:

• Cerebrovascular exams
  o Carotid duplex
  o Transcranial duplex
• Peripheral arterial exams
  o Dialysis access duplex
  o Lower extremity arterial duplex with physiologic testing
  o Upper extremity arterial duplex
  o Physiologic testing—ankle brachial index with exercise testing
  o Pseudoaneurysm evaluation
• Peripheral venous exams
  o Lower extremity venous duplex
  o Upper extremity venous duplex
  o Vein mapping
  
• Visceral vascular exams
  o Abdominal aortic duplex
  o Mesenteric duplex
  o Portal/splenic vein duplex
  o Renal duplex
  

Instructions for Procedures

Some procedures require special instructions. The following cardiac procedures require two-hour fasting* prior to the procedure, no beta blockers for 24 hours prior to the procedure, and comfortable clothes and shoes:

• Stress testing
  o Echocardiography treadmill test
  o Echocardiography pharmacological test
  o Non-imaging treadmill test
  

The following vascular procedures require eight-hour fasting* prior to the procedure:

• Abdominal aortic duplex
• Lower extremity arterial duplex with physiologic testing
• Mesenteric duplex
• Portal/splenic vein duplex
• Renal duplex

*Fasting means no consumption of liquids or food, and no smoking.