Cardiac Diagnostic and Treatment Center

This simple, painless test uses ultrasonic pictures of the heart muscle, valves, and supporting structures to demonstrate the blood flow within the heart. 

Ultrasound images of the heart are taken prior to exercise, retaken immediately after exercise using the treadmill or dobutamine infusion  and then compared to one another. 

A patient is placed on an EKG monitor then begins to walk on a treadmill at a slow pace gradually increasing in speed and incline.  The patient continues to walk on the treadmill to achieve a desired heart rate. 

A patient is placed on an EKG monitor then begins to walk on a treadmill at a slow pace gradually increasing in speed and incline.  A small dose of radioactivity that will perfuse the heart muscle is injected at peak exercise.  Images are later taken after a short waiting period using a special camera that detects radiation.  Stress images are compared to resting images previously taken prior to the stress test.

If a patient is unable to exercise or achieve a least 85% of his or her target heart rate, the test can be performed using a harmless medication (pharmacologic) which is administered intravenously.  At peak exercise, a small amount of radioactive material is injected and images are taken of the heart using a special SPECT camera that detects radiation after a short waiting period.  Stress images are compared to resting images previously taken prior to the stress test