Heart scan is a non-invasive test that helps assess the condition of the heart. Thanks to the special high-resolution scanner for isotope heart examination, you no longer have to open the chest to look inside. What is heart scanning? What are the indications for the test? How to prepare for it? How to interpret the test results?

Heart scanis the most modernheart examination . They are enabled by a special high-resolution scanner forisotope heart examinationGE Discovery. Heart scanning is non-invasive. It takes only 3 minutes, but gives the doctor an extremely precise picture of the heart, thanks to which he can make the right decision about the treatment of the patient. The radiation dose used during heart scanning is nearly 70 percent. less than the one we consume during the current heart examinations. In addition, heart scanning does not carry the risk of complications that occur, for example, after coronary angiography.

Who is the research for? Heart scan indications

People suffering from coronary heart disease have the greatest benefits from the test. Conducting the examination allows to assess the advancement of the disease and its complications. It is useful after a heart attack, when it is necessary to decide whether the patient needs ballooning of the arteries (unblocking them with special balloons introduced into the artery) or placing stents (scaffolding to expand arteries clogged with atherosclerotic plaque), or performing bypass (creating collateral circulation by implanting arteries taken from the body). A heart scan is very useful in diagnosing women over 45 who complain of chest pain.

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In addition, scanning can help avoid coronary angiography, which is invasive and requires a hospital stay. The tests are not performed in pregnant women. A referral can be made by a cardiologist or an internal medicine specialist.

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How do I prepare for a heart scan?

You have to go to the test on an empty stomach, but after taking medications that you are constantly taking. It is a good idea to wear comfortable clothes as the examination begins withshort training - running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. If the patient is unable to exercise, he or she is given medications that "cheat" the heart by signaling that the patient has exercised. Then it is time for the intravenous administration of the isotope (when it reaches the heart with the blood, it will facilitate taking pictures). You need to wait about an hour before starting the test. During this time, the patient is given a meal and a drink.

Heart scan process

The patient lays down on a special rack that drives into a small tunnel. A special camera is brought closer to the examined person's chest, which covers the whole heart. In just 3 minutes, she takes at least 360 (but can take even a thousand) photos of the heart and its sections, which are an image of an organ divided into thin slices. When the camera takes photos, you cannot move - this is the only inconvenience for the patient. The image from the camera is transferred to the computer.
After completing the examination, the patient can go home. However, on the day of the examination, he must avoid contact with young children and pregnant women, because his body excretes the isotope. The expulsion of the isotope can be accelerated by drinking as much fluids as possible. The test result is obtained in the form of a printout of photos and descriptions or recorded on a disc. As the test is safe, it can be repeated many times.

Assessing the results of a heart scan

This is left to the doctor who referred the patient for the examination. It is he who will decide on the further treatment of the patient. Having photos of all parts of the organ at your disposal (in high resolution and from any angle) makes it easier to make a diagnosis or modify the current treatment. The photos show the heart and its immediate vicinity, i.e. the walls of the heart, chambers, atria and vessels. During the examination, the heart function is also assessed - the left ventricular ejection fraction, i.e. with what force and how much blood goes from the heart to the aorta (the main artery). It is also checked how and with what force the heart muscle contracts.

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