Whether you are considering talking to your doctor about PET, or your
doctor has already recommended getting a PET scan, you may be wondering
what is involved. Well, having a PET scan is a very simple, non invasive
procedure, much like an MRI or CAT scan.
Preparation normally requires no food, sugar, or drink other than
water for 4 hours prior to the test. Upon arriving at the hospital,
a nurse will administer an IV that adds a "tracer" into
your blood system which will be seen by the PET scanner. You will
then be asked to rest for about one hour.
Finally, you will spend about 45 minutes to an hour laying on the
scanner bed while the PET scanner takes images of the "tracer"
in your body.
After your scan is complete, you will be free to go about your day.
Since a small amount of radioactive material from the "tracer"
is still present in your body, you may be asked to stay away from
small children or pregnant woman for 24 hours. Soon after, your doctor
will review the PET images and schedule a time to discuss the results.
