Why do I need this exam?
Your PET/CT exam results may have a major impact on your physician's diagnosis of a potential health problem and, should a disease be detected, how your return to health is managed. A PET/CT study helps your physician predict the likely outcome of various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to treatment, and monitor your progress. Just ask your physician what he or she hopes to learn from your PET/CT exam. What happens once I get there?
After receiving your history and copies of any prior exam results, you will receive a radiopharmaceutical injection that will be taken up by the cells in your body. For most studies, you will have to wait for the radio pharmaceutical to distribute itself - typically 50 minutes to an hour. However, we will ask you to wait in a quiet, dimly lit room in a relaxed fashion. If you are here for a heart study, you may not have to wait. The radiopharmaceutical used for cardiac exams are often administered just before the scanning begins. What will the scan be like?
You will be asked to lay on a comfortable table that moves slowly through the ring-like PET/CT scanner as it acquires the information it needs to generate diagnostic images. We will ask you to lay very still, because movement can interfere with the results. You should not feel a thing during the scan, which can last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. Then, unless the physician sees a need for acquiring additional information, you will be free to leave. How long does all this take?
Plan to spend approximately two hours for your exam, which includes completing all necessary paperwork. What happens after the exam?
You may be asked to wait for 15 minutes after the scan has been completed, to take your cd with you. Unless you receive special instructions, you will be able to eat and drink immediately - drinking lots of fluids will help remove any of the radiopharmaceutical that may still be in your system. In the meantime, we will begin preparing the results for review by our diagnosticians, and then by your physician, who will tell you what we have learned. Are there risks associated with PET/CT?
A PET/CT study is similar to many other diagnostic procedures, from CT to MRI and Nuclear Medicine. Although the radiation you receive is different, it is roughly equivalent to what you would receive from other diagnostic imaging exams such as a Nuclear Mediciane exam and CT. Radiopharmaceuticals used in PET/CT do not remain in your system long. As a precaution, we recommend that you avoid close contact with infants or with someone who is pregnant for eight hours after the scan. | 