Cardiac PET Viability Test, Procedure and Cost

The PET Viability Imaging is a Positron emission tomography (PET) viability imaging, which is used to further assess how much could the heart muscle could be damaged by heart attack or due to any heart disease.

This test is also used to determine whether the patient would be requiring angiography, any cardiac bypass surgery, the heart transplant or any other procedures.

• When booking for the appointment, keep the following points in mind.
• Kindly inform us claustrophobic, or discuss this with the respective doctor.
• Kindly inform us if could be diabetic, so in that case, the appointment would be scheduled appropriately.

There are known to be two parts to this viability test.

• Firstly, the scan would be done to measure the resting blood flow in your heart. The radioactive tracer (that is rubidium-82 or ammonia-13) would be injected into the bloodstream and would be taken up by your heart.
• The PET camera would then detect the radiation which is released by your tracer to produce the designated images.

• Secondly, a different radioactive tracer would be used containing your glucose, with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), which is injected in your body.
• This tracer can be seen to be taken up by your heart.
• Then, a second scan would be performed to demonstrate which parts of the heart would have been damaged. Resulting images further is based on how the different parts of the heart uses glucose—the sugar that is used by cells in the body for energy.
• The Cells that could be damaged or even killed by the heart disease or any heart attack with the use of  little or even no glucose.
• The healthy cells can be visualized here and the cells that could be further recovering from an injury that use more glucose.

 The two sets of PET images are reviewed together.

It is amongst a few imaging tools for which some limits have been imposed— currently, there are about three follow-up PET scans per individual, even when the doctors have only ordered them after detecting an anomaly on computed tomography (CT) scan.

It is seen that drinking plenty of the fluid post scan would help in flushing the radioactive material from the body.

As a precautionary measure, you are also advised to avoid any prolonged close contact with any pregnant women, with any babies or any young children for at least few hours after the PET scan, as one might be slightly radioactive during this period of time.

The images can be reviewed along with the appropriate medical history, any other imaging technique, reported by Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging Center by the  Nuclear Medicine Radiologist or the Nuclear Medicine Physician.

Please ensure that a follow up appointment has been made with the referring doctor to further discuss your test results.

On day of the test

There is some sort of fasting required. For about six hours prior to your test: You are advised to not eat or even drink anything, except for water.

You can also take other usual medications unless and otherwise it is directed by the physician.

You are requested to bring all of the medications along with you in its original form.