Treadmill stress testing helps your doctor evaluate your heart at rest, while your heart rate is increasing as you exercise on a treadmill, and after your heart rate reaches its peak. The test can show how well the heart muscle is contracting and if portions of the heart muscle are deprived of blood. Persantine, Dobutamine and Adenosine Stress Testing. These stress tests use nuclear medicine to evaluate the condition of the heart and arteries. Then scans of the heart are taken under a gamma camera.
Cardiac ultrasound uses sound waves to produce pictures of the heart in motion.
It is used to diagnose abnormalities of the heart valves, the heart muscle and the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart. Transesophageal ultrasound is a type of cardiac ultrasound which is performed by positioning an ultrasound probe in the esophagus, behind and below the heart. It is used to diagnose the extent of heart valve disease and assess the effectiveness of valve repair or replacement surgery. It is used to diagnose blockages that could lead to a stroke. Vascular ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of the arteries and veins in the legs, abdomen or neck.