Nuclear cardiac imaging now at VRP

VRP Medical Center, a leading tertiary hospital in the country, never stops improving and enhancing its medical facilities and assets to better serve its constituents.

Now on its 45th year, the legendary medical institution is offering the latest technologies in the health sector, the Nuclear Cardiac Imaging and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Tests at its nuclear medicine department.

“Nuclear cardiac imaging is a branch of nuclear medicine. It is a diagnostic modality which deals with the diagnosis of cardiac diseases particularly coronary artery blood flow. We make use of radio isotopes primarily to scan the coronary artery flow of individuals suspected to have heart problems. In layman’s term, we assess the blood flow of individuals to determine their heart health,” said Dr. Christian Michael Pawhay, a nuclear cardiologist at VRP.

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) is a non-invasive imaging test that shows how well blood flows through (perfuses) heart muscles. Often called a nuclear stress test, it seeks to show areas of the heart muscle that aren’t getting enough blood flow.

At the monthly VRP Medtalk FB Live show, Pawhay stressed that candidates for these specialized services include patients who are suspected to have heart attacks, patients who will undergo non-cardiac surgeries and post operative patients who have had angioplasty and heart bypass procedures.

“There is a process in obtaining the tests such as a clearance from a cardiologist and fasting,” Pawhay emphasized.

He said the package includes a pharmacological stress test and VRP’s protocol is to do all the tests in just one day. The services and equipment were launched last March 1, and is now available at VRP’s nuclear medicine department at the 10th floor with tel. nos. 4649999 local 289.

For more inquiries, visit the VRP Medical Center located at 163 EDSA, 1501 Mandaluyong City with Trunk line 4649999 or through their Facebook page www.facebook.com/vrpmedicalcenter and website www. vrp.com.ph