Nuclear Cardiography tests are non-invasive procedures that evaluate the heart’s ability to pump blood and myocardial blood flow. Nuclear cardiography tests also help to visualize the location and size of a heart attack. To perform these tests, radioactive dye is injected into the bloodstream, allowing us to obtain detailed pictures of your heart and the surrounding blood vessels.

At Premier Heart Care, we may perform nuclear cardiology tests to determine if you are at increased risk of heart attack or to evaluate whether you need heart surgery. The risks of nuclear cardiology tests are minimal since only a small amount of radioactive dye is used.

The kind of nuclear cardiography test most commonly performed is the myocardial perfusion scan. During this test, you will be required to exercise on a treadmill after the radioactive dye is injected. If you are unable to exercise due to a disability or medications such as beta blockers, you will be asked to take a medication that puts your heart under similar stress. We will use a special camera to take pictures of your heart both while you are exercising and while you are at rest. Through studying the images, we will be able to identify areas of the heart muscle that are not receiving sufficient blood, in addition to spotting blockages in your coronary arteries. Our lab is unique in that it uses a special camera that allows the patients to be seated upright, as compared to laying on their backs on a hard table as used in the hospital setting. The lab is also certified by the American College of Radiology.