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    Feb 11
    Blog: Cardiac Nuclear Medicine Imaging

    Saratoga Hospital is home to many advanced technologies that enable our medical teams to provide the best possible diagnosis and treatment, such as cardiac nuclear medicine imaging. This type of imaging provides unique information about your heart and blood flow that cannot be obtained by other imaging techniques.  

    When seeking a diagnosis for any abnormalities associated with the heart, it may not be enough to measure how fast or strongly it pumps. In some cases, your cardiologist will need to know how your blood flows through your body when you are in a resting state and when you are active. Nuclear medicine can visualize blood flow patterns to and from the heart walls, determine the extent of injury following a heart attack, and evaluate the presence and extent of suspected or known coronary artery disease, as well as a host of other cardiac-related conditions. 

    The way it works is relatively simple from the patient’s point of view. A tracer, which is a very small amount of radioactive material, is injected through an IV to help the radiologist and cardiologist identify what they are seeking. The tracer emits energy, a gamma ray, which can be picked up by a special camera that can turn it into an image. 

    It takes about an hour for the tracer to work through the system. The patient simply relaxes during this time. Then, while the patient lays still on the examination table, the gamma camera and a single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) rotate around the patient’s body to take detailed, three-dimensional images for about 10 to 15 minutes.   

    The next step can take place a few hours or the day following the first set of images. When the patient returns, they are asked to step onto a treadmill and a stress-test is then performed. Their heart and blood pressure will be measured during the exercise. When the patient’s heart rate reaches the required beats per minute, (calculated specifically to each individual patient), another tracer is injected through an IV into the patient. More images are then taken. The tracer will reveal how the patient’s blood flows during activity. 

    If a patient unable to reach the target heart rate or perform a treadmill stress test, then the test can be converted to a chemical stress test that will help assist increased blood flow to the heart, mimicking the activity of walking on a treadmill.

    Nuclear medicine is a very safe procedure. It not only helps diagnose cardiac disease, but the computer images can also be used to identify how other organs, tissues, or bones are functioning. It is also less expensive and can provide more precise information than exploratory surgery. The tracer’s radioactivity is so minute that it does not pose risk. It is eventually eliminated naturally from the body. 

    Depending on the type of exam, your doctor will instruct you on what you may eat or drink beforehand, especially if sedation is to be used. Leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may be asked to wear a gown. 

    Cardiac nuclear medicine is performed in The Diagnostic Center. Saratoga Hospital’s highly accredited imaging and radiology services are among the most advanced in the Capital Region. These services play a key role in diagnosing, treating, and monitoring the broadest range of conditions, including injuries, cancers, neurological disorders and pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Learn more about our imaging services at SaratogaHospital.org.