A treadmill stress test evaluates how the heart works during exercise. It is also referred to as an exercise ECG. A treadmill stress test may reveal heart problems not apparent when you are at rest, since the heart pumps faster during physical activity. If you cannot exercise, special medications (pharmacologic agents) can be used instead of the treadmill.

Electrocardiograms (EKG) graphically record the electrical activity of the heart and can reveal evidence of heart attacks or insufficient blood supply to the heart.

Microphlebectomy is used to treat painful, unpleasant varicose veins that are located close to the skin’s surface. The procedure is ideal for treating veins that are too large to treat with sclerotherapy and too small to safely and successfully treat with laser procedures.

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ABI is a diagnostic study performed by taking blood pressure measurements at the ankle and the arm while a person is at rest.

ECP is a non-surgical mechanical procedure that can reduce the symptoms and frequency of angina attacks. Treatments increase the blood flow to the heart, and the benefits can last long after completion of the course of therapy.

There are a total of 35 consecutive treatments in a therapy course. These treatments are beneficial for patients who have already had bypass surgery, angioplasty, or stents, as well as those who have not.

A nuclear stress test will help your physician see if you have coronary artery disease (CAD), which is caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart, usually caused by blocked arteries.

Myocardial perfusion imaging stress testing (myocardial refers to the heart muscle [myocardium] while perfusion refers to the passage of blood through the circulatory system) uses a very small amount of radioactive tracer, which circulates in the bloodstream and is taken up by the cells of the heart muscle. This will show if the heart muscle is receiving an adequate blood supply under stress and rest conditions. A special camera shows areas of healthy and unhealthy heart muscle.

The radioactive tracer leaves the body within a few hours. The radioactive tracer is not a dye and there are no side effects. This test and the tracer are used routinely world-wide for cardiac imaging.

How is the test performed?

An IV (intravenous) line will be started in a vein to allow for ease of injection. The first dose of tracer will be injected. After a short wait for the tracer to circulate, pictures are taken of your heart at rest. This takes approximately 15 minutes.

After the first pictures are completed, you will be taken to a room where you will be attached to ECG and blood pressure monitors. This will allow monitoring of your heart rhythm and blood pressure during the stress test. You will then walk on a treadmill, very similar to the kind used at a health club. If you cannot exercise, special medications can be used instead of the treadmill.

The treadmill will start slowly and will increase speed and incline every 3 minutes and as you exercise, your heart rate and blood pressure will change; this is normal. When your heart rate reaches the required goal, a second dose of tracer will be injected and will circulate as you walk for one more minute. The treadmill will stop and you will be monitored as your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal.

After the stress test a second set of pictures will be taken and compared to the first to look for any changes in circulation. We encourage you to eat a light snack and have something to drink. This will improve the quality of the last set of pictures. The doctors then review these pictures to decide if further treatment is needed.