The MUGA scan (Multiple Gated Acquisition scan) is an extremely useful noninvasive tool for assessing the function of the heart when information on blood flow to the heart muscle is not required. The MUGA scan produces a moving image of the beating heart, and from this image several important features can be determined about the health of the cardiac
The treadmill stress test is just that, a stress test entirely done on the treadmill. Patients are hooked up to an EKG machine for evaluation under exercise conditions. EKG abnormalities relative to cardiac problems can present themselves under exercise or “stress” conditions.
The level of mechanical stress is progressively increased by adjusting the difficulty (steepness of the slope) and speed.
The main clinical examination performed in nuclear cardiology is Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (also known as a Nuclear Stress Test). During a nuclear stress test, a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected intravenously. Two injections are administered: under rest conditions and under stress conditions. Stress conditions are obtained by use of treadmill exercise or medications that simulate the effects
In this procedure, a rotary shaver (also called a “burr”) is placed at the tip of a catheter, guided to the affected area, and used to remove plaque from the artery walls. In some cases, a laser catheter is used to vaporize the plaque.
Balloon valvuloplasty, also called balloon valvotomy, is used to repair narrow or constricted heart valves that do not open properly (e.g., aortic stenosis). In this procedure, a balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated to stretch the valve open.
The human heart has four valves that control the way blood flows through heart chambers. Interventional cardiologists can use catheters to guide clips or other devices through the blood vessels to a damaged valve. These devices can then be used to repair the valve to allow blood to flow properly again.
