A healthcare professional may recommend a myocardial perfusion scan if one experiences coronary artery disease symptoms. It is a non-invasive examination of the heart. It assesses how well the heart pumps. The myocardial perfusion scan can help diagnose heart disease and determine the impact of heart surgery. The procedure is considered safe but may have side effects, as it involves a dye injection and a specialized camera moving through the heart to scan the blood.

Preparation
Here are some tips to prepare for the myocardial perfusion scan:

It is important to inform the doctor about ongoing prescription treatments, including vitamins and herbs. The healthcare professional may advise avoiding them before the test, but one should only stop taking them once the doctor says so.

The healthcare professional may also ask one to avoid foods like caffeine-containing beverages (like tea, soft drinks, and coffee) or chocolate for 24 hours before the scan. If one happens to take caffeine, the scan may have to be postponed or canceled for a future day.

Avoid eating or drinking anything but water for at least four to six hours before the test.

Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes and shoes that one can exercise in. 

Procedure
The healthcare professional will put electrodes or small patches onto one’s legs, arms, and chest. These have wires hooked to a machine to track the heart rate. One will also have to wear a cuff on the arm to record the blood pressure. A person will be asked to exercise on a stationary bicycle or a treadmill. Before one finishes exercising, the doctor will put a small amount of radioactive material or tracer in the bloodstream. It mixes with the blood as it pumps across the body. The doctor will then ask the patient to lie on the table while they employ a gamma camera, a special camera to capture the photos of the heart. The camera picks up the tracer and depicts how the blood gets to the heart and where it does not. People not healthy enough to work out take a prescription product that widens or dilates the coronary arteries. Then one will be given the tracer. Once rested for hours, the person will undergo another scan with the camera so the doctors can compare the earlier tests with the normal blood flow. The entire test usually takes up to four hours.

After the procedure
Once the myocardial perfusion scan is over, one will have an appointment with the doctor, where the doctor will discuss the results. A person’s body will eliminate the radioactive tracer via stools or urine within 24 hours. One may have to drink some extra fluids to help with the process.

Results
Myocardial perfusion is graded on 0 to 4 values based on the uptake of blood through the coronary arteries. When the artery blockage causes abnormal or reduced perfusion, the heart muscles are not getting the necessary blood supply, or the heart is not pumping as efficiently as it must to cater to the body’s demand for oxygenated blood.

Doctors interpret the myocardial perfusion scan results in the following manner:

0 = Regular uptake

1 = Slightly diminished uptake

2 = Moderately diminished uptake

3 = Greatly diminished uptake

4 = Total absence of uptake

Side effects
The myocardial perfusion scan is considered a well-tolerated and safe screening tool. But since the test exposes a person to a small degree of radiation, one may have a long-term risk of getting cancer. In addition, other side effects people may experience are chest pains and an abnormal heart rhythm when they exercise during the test. If that happens, one must instantly halt the procedure and inform the doctor.

Further, even though one does not get much radiation from the tracer, some develop an allergic reaction to the drugs or tracers used. Moreover, the area where the tracer is injected might be sore after the test, just as it would after getting any other injection. Lastly, the prescription options employed by the doctor to induce stress may have potential side effects like low blood pressure, temporary slowing of the heart rate, and seizures.

Cost
Usually, the heart perfusion test cost is between $801 and $2958. However, if one does not have insurance or is on a high-deductible plan, it is advisable to compare prices and shop around to save.