Nuclear Cardiology Center

Nuclear cardiology has been an active discipline in clinical cardiology for more than three decades. Illinois Heart and Vascular is pleased to offer myocardial perfusion imaging for the assessment of coronary artery disease with our state of the art nuclear cameras. This technique allows evaluation of myocardial perfusion and function as well as viability. The rest and stress imaging technique can be performed with treadmill exercise or with the pharmacologic agents adenosine or dobutamine. The procedure takes approximately two and one half hours and is done Monday through Saturday, in the offices of Illinois Heart and Vascular.

Stress tests are commonly used:

• As a diagnostic test when coronary artery disease is suspected based on history or physical exam
• For risk assessment or prognosis in patients with established coronary artery disease
• To help evaluate ongoing arterial patency following prior angioplasty or bypass surgery
• As part of health maintenance in an apparently healthy person who has significant risk factors for corollary disease

The goal of this imaging service is to provide the referring physician with important clinical information for the ongoing care of the patient. Detailed reports describing the electrocardiographic information and the scintigraphic perfusion findings are sent to the referring physician. Additional follow-up concerns can be coordinated with the cardiologists at IHAV