Depend on the specialists at the Englewood Health Physician Network to use advanced technology to help you learn about the health of your heart. Get detailed information during a nuclear heart scan in New Jersey and New York.
What is Nuclear Cardiology?
A nuclear cardiology study, or nuclear heart scan, is a type of imaging test. Nuclear heart scans help your doctor diagnose heart conditions and plan the best treatment for you. Nuclear cardiology tests include:
- Myocardial perfusion imaging is used to show blood flow and identify heart conditions. It is sometimes called a nuclear stress test.
- Radionuclide ventriculography shows us how well your heart is pumping. It measures the amount of blood pumped out of your heart with each beat, called your ejection fraction.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is used to learn about the flow of blood to your heart and how your heart is functioning. It also helps us to assess the damage from any past heart attacks.
Why Nuclear Heart Scans Are Done
Your doctor may recommend this scan to:
- Check symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath
- Diagnose coronary artery disease (narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart)
- Assess your risk for a heart attack
- See how a heart attack or infection affected your heart
- Evaluate how well a treatment is working, including a heart transplant
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Tests
Get information you need quickly without surgery. Nuclear cardiology uses minimally invasive methods, which means you won’t need incisions and you’ll be able to do your normal activities after the test.
How to Prepare
Ask your doctor how to prepare for your test. You may be asked not to eat, drink, take certain medications, or smoke for a certain amount of time before your test.
What to Expect
During these noninvasive tests, we insert a small amount of radioactive tracer into a vein. When the tracer reaches the heart, a sensitive device called a gamma camera detects the radiation and takes pictures and video of the heart.