MUGA Scan
Understanding MUGA Scans
A MUGA (multi-gated acquisition) scan is a nuclear imaging study that shows how much blood your heart is pumping and how well the walls of your heart are contracting. This highly accurate scan measures your heart’s ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood pumped out of your heart’s left ventricle with each beat.
By tracking the movement of red blood cells through your heart chambers, the MUGA scan provides detailed information about your heart’s pumping efficiency and can help identify areas of the heart muscle that may not be contracting properly.
Patient Testimonials
Laura, Sheen
“Laura is so suited to her work… Sheena was downright funny, cheerful. Both perfect.”
Hartlee and Paula
“Hartlee and Paula were awesome. Both explained thoroughly what they were going to do during the exam.”
Steven, Kyle
“My daughter was scared… they did an amazing job explaining everything to her… two people who took the time to really put my 8-year-old daughter’s mind at ease.”
Emma
“Please pass on to all that my technician Emma was wonderful. She explained everything step by step. She was gentle and very thorough. Excellent patient care.”
VP staff
“The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I live in Idaho, and I come in purposely to use your facility for any imaging needs.””
Kristin
“Superior technician. Kristin was very nice, knowledgeable, and explained everything thoroughly.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Your technologist will take a small amount of blood from your vein (usually from your arm). This drawn blood is mixed with a radioisotope in the lab that binds to your red blood cells. This process is called labeling. The treated blood is injected back into the vein in your arm and allows us to image where the red blood cells go in your body.
The imaging portion takes approximately 30 minutes, but you should plan to be in our department for about 75 minutes total. This allows time for the blood labeling process and preparation.
A small amount of blood is drawn from your arm and mixed with a radioisotope in the lab. This radioisotope binds to your red blood cells in a process called labeling. The treated blood is then reinjected into your vein, allowing us to track your red blood cells and image your heart function.
No, the procedure is not painful. You’ll feel a small pinch during the blood draw and reinjection, but the imaging itself is non-invasive and painless.
Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped out of your heart’s left ventricle with each beat. It’s an important measure of how efficiently your heart is working.