Cardiac perfusion scan

My family physician Jennifer Chew (daughter of my fellow-Adelaide MD, Ken Chew) and my cardiologist Andy Wielgosz discussed my status a couple of weeks ago, in response to my doubts about having enough stamina to fly to Edinburgh for the World Congress of Epidemiology. Probably more to reassure me than for sound clinical reasons, Andy asked for a cardiac perfusion scan. This test was done last Tuesday and Wednesday. I stopped all cardiovascular medication and gave up caffiene - tea, coffee, chocolate - and got up very early to be at the diagnostic imaging department by 7 am. A technician gave me an IV injection of a radioactive dye, then a second technician positioned me under a very costly-looking piece of equipment that revolved over my chest for about an hour, taking movie pictures of my heart muscle as it absorbed the radioactive dye. On the second day, all this was repeated, and a cardiovascular stress test was added. I'd have preferred to be stressed by brisk walking on a treadmill, but an IV injection was used to simulate vigorous exercise. At least one and often two nurse-technicians watched over me, one operating the equipment, joined from time to time by a resident (trainee physician) in cardiology. I wonder how much all this cost the taxpayers, and I'm quite sure I'm not worth this much expense. I know Andy is cost-conscious, so I'll ask him whether he thinks I'm worth it, when I see him next. Canada's per capita health care costs, and costs as a proportion of national income are substantially lower than those of the USA (and outcomes are significantly better in virtually all categories); excessive use of tests like the one I had last week could influence these statistics, but it's possible only to do a limited number of tests daily because the test is so time-consuming and I think there may be only one or two sets of the necessary equipment in Ottawa, which obviously limits the number of tests that can be done.