THE John Radcliffe has become one of only three hospitals in the UK equipped with a groundbreaking heart imaging machine.

The Nuclear Cardiology team now has a £440,000 cardiac gamma camera, which will help up to 3,000 patients a year.

It was was funded solely by Oxford Hospitals Charity, thanks to the generous support of donors and fundraisers in the local community.

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Dr Sergei Pavlitchouk, nuclear cardiology services clinical lead, said: “We really wanted this camera because the quality and resolution of the scans is much higher and as it’s more sensitive equipment, scanning takes less time.

“We can also reduce radioactive doses, which means less exposure for patients and staff.”

The new gamma camera uses cardiac nuclear imaging to help clinicians discover and evaluate the severity of coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy – diseases of the heart muscle.

It can also help determine whether the heart has been damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, so many cancer patients will also benefit from the advanced technology.

Oxford Mail:

Rosy Giedroyc, who lives in south Oxford, has been receiving treatment for high blood pressure at the John Radcliffe since having a stroke almost 30 years ago.

She had a nuclear cardiac scan using the new gamma camera in January, to investigate whether she had angina.

The 82-year-old explained: “They did one scan when I was sitting and another while lying down. Neither took longer than four minutes and one was probably nearer two minutes.

“The camera looks like a big box but doesn’t press on you at all, and you don’t have to undress.”

Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive materials, called radiotracers, that are typically injected into the bloodstream, inhaled or swallowed.

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The radiotracer travels through the area being examined and gives off energy in the form of gamma rays, which are detected by the special camera and a computer to create images of the inside of your body.

Normally, patients are asked to exercise on a bicycle or treadmill, so doctors can see how their heart reacts under stress, versus when at rest. Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures.

Chair of Oxford Hospitals Charity, Professor David Matthews, said: “We are thrilled to bring this cutting-edge technology to our hospitals and are immensely grateful to the generous donors who have made this possible. It is wonderful to hear what a difference the new gamma camera is already making to patients.”

The test can show the size of the heart’s chambers, how well it is pumping blood and whether there is any damaged or dead muscle. Nuclear stress tests can also give doctors information about whether arteries might be narrowed or blocked, because of coronary artery disease.

The previous gamma camera at the Oxford Heart Centre was 15 years old and cuts treatment times from between 15 and 25 minutes to just three to five minutes.

For more information visit hospitalcharity.co.uk.