muga scan question

[valleygirl]

My new doctor sent me for a echocardiogram. Asked him why I wasn't getting a muga scan and he told me this was better. I've never seen any posts on here on anything but the muga scans. Couldn't find any comparisons online. Was wondering if anyone had more info on the echocardiogram and is it better?

[JennyB]

I had echo's all the way I have read that the heart docs? prefer the information owever I do believe you can get different results due to operator but not vastly different. When my EF dropped I had a Muga as comparison and ten back to echo's again. There is not, from my experience, a vast difference between the two. BTW with an echo they check general heart health too - which is a good bonus.

Regards

Jenny

[Jackie07]

Echo is much cheaper and easier to schedule than MUGA. I have not had an Echo for a long, long time. I'd guess that once a person experiences drops in the numbers, MUGA is used to get a more clear picture of the situation.

[snolan]

I started with Muga but due to sched problems and cost I asked if I could get an echo and my Dr was fine with it. Says it gives her the same information. I like the fact that I don't have to have and IV started and radioactive junk put into my body.

[anna4969]

Hi Valleygirl,

By chance, is your echo a "Trans-Thoracic Echo with Echocardiogram"? I ask because I have been a regular with Mugas for 2 1/2 years and then this last heart test was changed to this special echo. I asked my onc why we were changing to an echo and was told that this echo is far more detailed and can show the very, very early signs of heart failure by looking at the fibers. From here on in, he told me I will get these special echos instead of the mugas because they can tell us much more. So maybe this is what your onc was speaking about? And I so agree with the other gals that it is nice not to have any injections and this shows the whole heart health. So sounds like it is a good thing. )

Be well.

[sarah]

I started with Mugas done at the hospital but then when I went to the heart clinic, they did echos and personally I prefered that. the less radiation the better plus when I had a pericarditis, they saw that on the echo. The echo was always done by the same cardiologist. My onc said they were equally good.

[Deb33]

I had an initial muga ordered by my onc, then echos from my cardiologist and a final muga again from my onc. The mugas always showed a higher % than the echo's. I'm told that is because the echos are subject to the interpretation of the doc?

[tricia keegan]

I had echo's right through my Herceptin every three months and only one Mugga at the start but it was quicker do preferred that!