Cardiac Amyloidosis Scan

A Cardiac Amyloidosis Scan assesses your heart for abnormal amyloid deposits using a radioactive tracer and a camera. 

You will be given two appointments for your test on the same day (roughly 3 hours apart): 

On the first visit (approximately 15 min), a technologist will explain the entire procedure to you and then give you the opportunity to ask any questions. You will then receive an injection of a radioactive tracer into a vein in your arm. There are no known side effects from this injection. There will be a 3-hour delay between the injection and the scan, which is required for your heart to have time to absorb the tracer. During this time, you may eat and drink and are free to leave the department and return later.  

On the second visit (45-60 min), we will scan your heart. You will be asked to remove all external metal objects from your body, including your jewelry. You may also be asked to change into a hospital gown. You will be asked to lie on our imaging table. The technologist will use a special detector called a gamma camera to scan your chest and create three dimensional images for the doctor to review. 

Expect to be at the hospital for most of the day. 

• Bring your health card.
• No special preparation is required. You will be able to eat, drink and take your medications as usual on the day of your scan.
• We would like you to dress in clothing that does not have any metal. Please refrain from wearing any jewelry. Please leave all valuables at home.
• Please notify our booking office at the time of scheduling your appointment if you have any concerns regarding claustrophobia, lying still, require a mechanical lift for transfer to the imaging bed, have a language barrier or any other special needs, so that appropriate arrangements can be made ahead to provide you with the best possible care. 

Only the pinprick of the injection needle may hurt a bit. You may have had a blood test in the past. This is much the same. 

The injection contains a small amount of radioactive tracer which emits gamma rays (these are similar to X-rays) which can be detected by our scanner. The radiation dose is very low and will disappear by itself after two days. The results of your scan will give your doctor useful information about your condition and will help them plan your treatment. The benefits of having the scan far outweigh any potential risk from the small radiation dose. 

No special precautions are needed after the scan. If you are travelling across any borders within seven days after your scan, please ask us for further advice. Border crossings and airports have very sensitive radiation detectors which may pick up tiny amounts of radioactivity remaining within your body. We will give you a letter that you can show to customs officials at border crossings or airports

Please tell us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding must be interrupted up to 4 hours after the exam, during which time one milk meal should be pumped and discarded. Prepare for your exam accordingly. 

A specially trained doctor will examine the pictures. This is normally done soon after the end of the scan. A report is then sent to the doctor who asked us to do the scan. Your doctor will normally receive the report within one week. You will also have access to the report on MyChart as soon as it is released. 

If you have questions about the scan results or report, please contact your doctor directly. They are best able to interpret the report for you. 

No. This test is paid for by the healthcare system. The test costs several hundred dollars, so please notify the department at 613-761-4831 if you cannot make your appointment. 

If you cannot make your appointment, it is important that you notify the department at 613-761-4831 as soon as possible. Failure to make your appointment results in wasting of expensive materials that are ordered especially for your appointment and also reduces availability to other patients. Missed appointments may also result in delays of your treatments.