Receiving a Gated Pool Ejection Fraction Procedure in Williamsport, PA
Gated pool ejection fraction procedures are ordered to:
- Evaluate heart muscle function, heart failure, and the effect of drugs (including chemotherapy) on heart wall motion
- Calculate an ejection fraction
Patient Preparation
No preparation is required. If your cultural or religious beliefs prevent the withdrawal and re-injection of your blood, please inform us before your arrival so we can make arrangements for another protocol.
The Procedure
Upon arrival you will be registered by our office staff. A certified nuclear medicine technologist will explain the procedure. He/she will start an IV and withdraw several milliliters of your blood. Your blood is taken to our radiopharmacy with your identification information attached. The technologist will then label your blood by adding radioactive material and allow it to incubate for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes is expired you will be escorted into a camera room, connected to an ECG machine and positioned under the camera. The technologist will re-verify your identity and then re-administered to your radiolabeled blood. Images will be taken of your heart from multiple directions.
Depending on what your physician requests, we may perform a SPECT acquisition. SPECT will have the camera rotate all the way around you rather than the three angled picture we normally take.
A board-certified nuclear medicine physician will interpret your scan. The results will be available to your physician within one working day.