The ASNC Interview Series Podcast

Dr. Jamieson Bourque, ASNC’s President-Elect, joins Drs. Nishant Shah and Fililpe Moura for a conversation on the superb advances PET has made in recent years, and the resultant advances in diagnosis, risk stratification and patient management. Further, with the entrée of new tracers, and AI, the three discuss where further potential for new applications and enhancements to patient care may lie. 

ASNC President Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, MD, and Immediate Past President Lawrence Phillips, MD, MASNC, share key insights about where the filed of nuclear cardiology is headed in a conversation led by Matthew Harinstein, MD, MBA, FASNC.

In this episode featuring Dr. Ronald Schwartz, the advantages of CZT over conventional cameras are considered. Dr. Schwartz discusses how the newer technology has expanded “what we can do with perfusion, function and metabolic imaging with SPECT”.  He evaluates the exciting applications available and the practical considerations related to image acquisition and quality.

Dr. Marcelo Di Carli, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, speaks on one of his favorite topics – Viability Imaging in Clinical Practice – in this episode.  Describing it as “the big task” for cardiac imagers, Dr. Di Carli outlines the essential concepts in myocardial viability, such as hibernation and stunning, as well as the importance of distinguishing between tissue viability and nonviability. He reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the imaging modality options for this purpose, stating that there is room for all of the techniques in providing care for cardiac patients.

Treatment of cardiac amyloidosis is a hot topic. Listen as ASNC Past President, Dr. Prem Soman, imparts his knowledge on interpreting studies and more.  Delving into how to use the imaging and relate it to clinical components, the discussion is packed with tips on starting a cardiac amyloidosis program and where the future may lead. Be sure to listen to the end to learn where mistakes happen and how to avoid them.

In this episode, nuclear cardiology specialist and past ASNC president, Dr. Gordon DePuey, identifies sources of artifacts and abnormalities, the significance of quality control practices, as well as clues to potential artifacts and the importance of anticipating the circumstances that may produce them. Dr. DePuey further discusses methods to mitigate artifacts and what to do when the likelihood of acquiring a good SPECT study is diminished.

Dr. Kim Allen Williams, Past President of ACC and ASNC, is the featured speaker in this episode discussing his methodology for interpreting SPECT myocardial perfusion studies. Dr. Williams explains what he believes is critical to review when reading studies and also examines approaches for working with skeptical administrators on the value of hybrid imaging as well as the responsibility physicians hold in providing patients with the best possible care.

The first episode of the ASNC Interview Series features luminary Dr. Robert Bonow, a general cardiologist who also does imaging and refers to multimodality imagers. Dr. Bonow discusses nuclear cardiology’s competence with emerging technologies in support of evolving patient populations and conditions. He also reflects on the challenges practitioners encounter locally to ensure general cardiologists and other referrers appreciate the value of nuclear cardiology.