In-Depth Information from Green Mountain Cardiology

Nuclear Cardiology: When it comes to your heart, image is everything.

The fellowship-trained cardiologists at Green Mountain Cardiology in Rutland, VT are board-certified in nuclear cardiology. They use cardiac nuclear imaging for one of two reasons: To evaluate the cause of your chest pain or to measure the strength of your heart after you’ve had a heart attack or surgery.

Nuclear imaging also enables our cardiology specialists to detect heart problems early, sometimes even before symptoms of disease appear. It is an important diagnostic tool used to monitor patients with known coronary artery disease. By performing the test on a periodic basis and comparing the results to previous evaluations, the cardiologists at Green Mountain Cardiology can identify and assess changes in cardiac circulation during the stress of exercise. The test also lets them determine how well your heart can tolerate exercise and activity.

What is cardiac nuclear imaging?
Nuclear imaging of the heart shows how well blood flows to your heart muscle and can detect whether or not you have coronary artery disease. It is usually done in conjunction with an exercise stress test on a treadmill. But it can also be performed using medicines that effectively simulate the effects of exercise on the heart. Nuclear imaging determines whether severe blockages are limiting blood flow to your heart muscle when it needs it most, which is during physical activity. In addition, nuclear imaging allows a clear determination of your heart’s pumping function.

Finding defects with greater accuracy.
A nuclear imaging test’s radioactive “tracers” increase the accuracy of a traditional stress test by producing an image of the heart. When you reach your maximum level of exercise, or after simulating exercise with medications, a small amount of the tracing solution is injected into your system. You then lie down on a table under a camera that detects the tracing solution and generates pictures of your heart’s blood flow both at rest and following stress. If a portion of the heart muscle doesn’t receive a normal blood supply, a deficiency of tracer activity in that area will appear on the finished images as a defect.

Expertise you can trust.
Dr. Michael E. Robertello was the first local cardiologist to offer in-office nuclear imaging and was also the first to conduct “first-pass imaging” when performing this advanced procedure. This additional protocol gives important information that traditional nuclear imaging cannot reveal. Dr. Robertello has a long-standing tradition of helping to introduce new technology to the residents of Rutland and the surrounding areas. He continues to ensure that Green Mountain Cardiology is able to provide state-of-the-art care for people with heart conditions.

For more information on nuclear cardiology or to book an appointment, please call our office at 802-773-1128.

back to In-Depth Information