Myocardial Perfusion with Sestamibi This test is also known by other names including Myocardial Perfusion Scan, Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, Sestamibi SPECT, and Nuclear Stress Test. Myocardial Perfusion Scan detects perfusion abnormalities, obstruction of coronary arteries and evaluates the ejection fraction of the left ventricle. Myocardial Perfusion measures the amount of blood in your heart muscle at rest and during exercise. A radionuclide is a radioactive substance that travels through the blood stream and is taken up (absorbed) by the healthy heart muscle tissue. On the scan, the areas where the radionuclide has been absorbed will show up differently than the areas that do not absorb it, due to possible damage to the tissue from decreased or blocked blood flow. Duration: 2 days
Two sets of pictures will be taken during a cardiac perfusion scan in two days. One set is taken one day while you are resting. Another set is taken other day, after your heart has been stressed, either by exercise or after you have been given a medicine. The resting pictures are then compared with the stress images. |