Banner Health, HeartFlow offering a new program to detect coronary blockages

PHOENIX — Banner Imaging and HeartFlow are collaborating to offer a new program to help new patients detect coronary blockages, officials said.

HeartFlow is a medical technology company that specializes in heart care.

In the collaborative program, the patient undergoes an imaging test and the data from the procedure is used to create a 3D model depicting the health of the patient’s coronary arteries, according to a press release.

Using colors — red to indicate more artery blockage and blue to indicate a healthier artery — the procedure helps doctors find out if a patient’s heart is receiving the blood flow necessary to function properly.

“The beauty of HeartFlow’s program is that it helps patients avoid more invasive procedures, like cardiac catheterization,” Banner Imaging Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mohammad Khan said in the release.

“Doctors can now use HeartFlow’s data for the same information that would be provided by cardiac catheterization, but in a significantly less invasive manner.”

Dr. Khan notes that patients with a family history of heart disease, chest pain and other heart issues may benefit most from the procedure.

“This is much more convenient for the patient, as it reduces the risks associated with more invasive procedures and is performed in the comfort of an outpatient setting,” Dr. Khan said. “It is also more cost-effective than comparable procedures.”

HeartFlow is offered at seven Banner Imaging locations in Arizona:

• Talking Stick
• East Mesa
• Paseo 2 in Glendale
• Peoria
• New River Trails
• Ocotillo 
• Arcadia