The LIJ Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory is now accredited by ICANL — The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology

The Nuclear Cardiology Laboratories of North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center perform a variety of tests that provide important information regarding the blood flow through the coronary arteries of the heart and pumping strength of the heart.

The information from these tests allows your doctor to determine if you have coronary artery disease, and to asses the risk of heart attack. These tests also assess the size of the pumping chamber and the strength of the heart beat (e.g., the ejection fraction).

Thus, in addition to determining the presence of coronary artery disease, these non-invasive tests may also assess for the presence of a weak heart (cardiomyopathy). The information from a nuclear cardiology study may help to determine strategies for the treatment of heart disease.

If the results of a nuclear study are mildly abnormal, the appropriate treatment is generally aggressive reduction of risk factors and medical therapy for mild blockage of coronary arteries. However, if the abnormalities are large, you may be referred to the Catheterization Laboratory for angioplasty or placement of a coronary stent. With very severe coronary artery disease, you may be a candidate for coronary bypass surgery.

Nuclear cardiology tests generally involve the use of very small amounts of radioactive tracers. The radioactive exposure is very small, somewhat like that of a chest X-ray. Stress testing usually involves waking on a treadmill for a few minutes. Those who cannot due this may undergo a pharmacologic study, in which a medication is used to take the place of exercise.

These medications have no added risk than what would be with treadmill exercise. The myocardial perfusion and equilibrium gated blood pool (or MUGA) nuclear studies use different myocardial tracers (e.g., Thallium and Technetium) and different pharmacologic agents (e.g., adenosine, dobutamine).

State-of-the art imaging techniques are used to increase test accuracy. Nuclear cardiology tests are interpreted by cardiologists who are considered leaders in the field of nuclear cardiology. The laboratories of the North Shore-LIJ system have made major contributions to the latest advances in nuclear cardiology. They are also major training centers for training nuclear cardiologist and nuclear technologists.