BACKGROUND: Low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography is specific for predicting reversible contractility dysfunction, but its sensitivity is lower than ideal. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore the predictors of myocardial contractile recovery following revascularization, in patients with no viability by low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 30 consecutive patients with significant coronary stenosis/occlusion amenable for revascularization, regional wall motion abnormality in the distribution of the affected artery and absence of viability by low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography. They underwent resting 99mTc-sestamibi imaging study, and then underwent successful coronary revascularization. Follow-up echocardiography was performed 3 months later. Patients were classified into 2 groups: group 1: with evidence of myocardial contractile recovery after revascularization at follow-up echocardiography and group 2: with no such evidence of recovery. The two groups were compared with respect to patients’ clinical, echocardiographic and scintigraphic data. RESULTS: The mean age was 52.3 ± 5.9 years, with 97% being males. The percentage of total 99mTc-sestamibi uptake was significantly higher in group 1 as compared to group 2 (p < 0.01), and it was the strongest independent predictor of myocardial contractile recovery at 3-month follow-up by multivariate regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristics curve revealed that a cutoff value of the percentage of total 99mTc-sestamibi uptake of 72% best predicted myocardial contractile recovery, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95.7%. CONCLUSION: In patients with no viability by low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography, the percentage of total 99mTc-sestamibi uptake independently predicted myocardial contractile recovery following coronary revascularization.