Our Cardiologist
Dr Adil Rajwani is a Consultant Cardiologist with specialist interest in multimodality cardiac imaging. He is the Clinical Lead for echocardiography at Royal Perth Hospital and the Clinical Lead for Cardiac Imaging at Western Radiology. He holds accreditation in all 3 major cardiac imaging modalities (CT coronary angiogram, cardiac MRI and echocardiography), and is one of the very few cardiologists in WA to hold Level III (highest level) international accreditation of his training in cardiac MRI with the Society of Cardiovascular MRI. He undertook his PhD in cardiovascular biology in the U.K. and continues to contribute actively to academic cardiovascular medicine. He has published a number of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, is the chief investigator for a number of active research grants at RPH, and is an invited reviewer for several international cardiovascular journals. He has also been an invited speaker at a number of national conferences on the topic of cardiac imaging, and is cognisant of the importance of keeping up to date in such a rapidly moving field.
Related Information
Echocardiography and Cardiac MRI both assess the size and function of the heart muscle and its valves. Cardiac MRI goes one step further however and provides a ‘virtual biopsy’ of the heart, often allowing the cardiologist to determine not only if there is scar of the heart muscle but also what caused the scar in the first place. Cardiac MRI is also the gold standard for precise quantification of heart function. Unlike CT, there is no radiation involved in MRI. International guidelines now place Cardiac MRI as a key investigation in a number of presentations including: heart failure of unknown cause; heart attack without explanation on angiography; assessment of heart muscle ‘viability’ after a heart attack; inherited cardiomyopathies; unexplained masses in the heart; and unexplained thickening of the heart muscle. MRI is also ideal for the surveillance of a dilated aorta, with advanced sequences allowing us to obtain high-resolution imaging with no contrast, no needles, and no radiation. At Western Radiology, our cardiologist has experience in all major indications for Cardiac MRI; please contact us for further details.
Normally, a Cardiologist or Specialist will consider CMR when other imaging investigations have not provided sufficient information. GP’s would normally have referred you to a Cardiologist prior to a point where CMR would be considered as a necessary test.
An MRI is a super-magnet which amplifies the tiny signals obtained from your body generated by radio waves. You will lie on a table within the tunnel of the MRI during the scan. The radiographer will talk to you through headphones, asking you to hold your breath for short intervals whilst the pictures are taken. If contrast is required for your study, this will be given through a small plastic tube (cannula) placed in your arm; this contrast will be removed naturally via your kidneys.
Although we allocate a 1-hour slot to your study, in most cases the actual scan itself will only take 30-45mins. Please attend at least 30 minutes early to complete the preparation for the scan. It is advisable to avoid caffeine-rich drinks and alcohol for a few hours prior. As you will be lying down for the scan, it may also be best to avoid large meals immediately beforehand. There should be no need to interrupt your normal medications unless advised otherwise. We may ask you to obtain a blood test of your kidney function prior to the scan.
Cardiac MRI is a highly sub-specialised imaging modality that requires significant expertise beyond that acquired during standard cardiology or radiology training. Our cardiologist has a specialist interest in Cardiac MRI with years of experience and is one of the very few cardiologists in WA to hold Level III accreditation (highest level) of training with the Society of Cardiovascular MRI. As a testament to the importance we place on quality, each study at Western Radiology is supervised by our cardiologist who can then individualise the study in real-time to ensure the study is of the highest calibre.
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