Performing stress cardiac imaging or advanced non-invasive imaging in patients without symptoms on a serial or scheduled pattern (e.g., every one to two years or at a heart procedure anniversary) rarely results in any meaningful change in patient management. This practice may, in fact, lead to unnecessary invasive procedures and excess radiation exposure without any proven impact on patients’ outcomes. An exception to this rule would be for patients more than five years after a bypass operation.
Sources:
American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, et al. ACCF/ASE/AHA/ASNC/HFSA/HRS/SCAI/SCCM/SCCT/SCMR 2011 Appropriate Use Criteria for Echocardiography. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Mar 1;57(9):1126-66. PMID: 21349406.
Hendel RC, et al. ACCF/ASNC/ACR/AHA/ASE/SCCT/SCMR/SNM 2009 appropriate use criteria for cardiac radionuclide imaging. Circulation. 2009 Jun 9;119(22):e561-87. PMID: 19451357.
Natarajan MK, et al. Canadian Cardiovascular Society position statement on radiation exposure from cardiac imaging and interventional procedures. Can J Cardiol. 2013 Nov;29(11):1361-8. PMID: 24035289.
Related Resources:
Patient Pamphlet: ECG (Electrocardiogram): When you need it and when you don’t
Patient Pamphlet: Echocardiogram Before Surgery: When you need it and when you don’t
Patient Pamphlet: Chest X-rays Before Surgery: When you need them and when you don’t