A PET scan, or Positron Emission Tomography, is an imaging study that detects radiation from positron emission to recreate images of the body.  A radioactive substance is given to the patient, and it is this substance that positrons are emitted from.  Different colors on a PET image represent different tissues and organ function.  This study can be used to detect cancer in the body, determine heart blood supply to assess coronary artery disease, to differentiate between functional and non-functional heart tissue in cases where a CABG or angioplasty may be needed, and to assess brain function for certain memory disorders.  

Pre-Study Details:

Your physician will give specific instructions before the study, and you should not eat after midnight before the study.  Allergies will be discussed, as you will receive an injection of radioactive substance.  Medication use will be discussed with your physician prior to the study.  

Study Details:

A technician will take you to a special injection room, where the radioactive substance is given through an IV and then you will wait for 30-90 minutes for the substance to accumulate in the body's tissue.  During this time, you will rest quietly.  The scanning begins after this rest period.  The machine looks like a large doughnut and the table which you will lie on will move up and down the center hole to acquire the images.  In some cases, the patient may undergo a double scan in which the first scan is without a stress test and the second test is with a stress test.  The

Post-Study Details:

Once the scan is complete, you will be done with the study.  There are usually no restrictions to daily activities and you should drink plenty of fluids to "wash out" the radioactive substance.  It usually takes a few days for the results to be interpreted.