What to Expect and Results

Procedure

• Upon arrival, you’ll find a self-registration kiosk in our lobby for simple, check-in. If you need help, we have support staff available to assist.
• One of our highly-trained imaging technologists will greet you, explain the test and what to expect.
• All patients will be given a glucometer test (finger stick) to check your sugar levels to make sure they’re in the normal range (below 200 mg/dl.)
• Your technologist will administer a small injection of radioactive tracer (commonly known as FDG) intravenously. This injection causes no reaction or side effects.
• Depending on the test your physician ordered, some patients may also need CT contrast administered (either orally or via IV).
• Next, you’ll wait for your scan in our comfortable “Uptake Room.” It takes the tracer approximately an hour to circulate through your body, so we’ll provide you with a comfortable chair, a warm blanket, and a bottle of water to keep you well-hydrated. For best results, we’ll ask you to relax during this time and avoid movement to include talking, reading or even using electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, etc. This is important because the tracer gravitates toward areas of activity within the body (including the brain). The room includes audio and video monitoring equipment in the event you need to communicate with us for any reason. We’ll check in throughout your uptake process.
• Once your intake is complete, you can stop by the restroom on your way to the PET/CT scan room where we’ll meet you to complete your exam. Most scans take approximately 15 minutes, and your technologist will be with you throughout the test, monitoring from the control room. Depending on what your physician ordered, some scans may require subsequent imaging.
• On average, your entire appointment from start to finish should last around 1.5 hours, although some tests may take up to 2 hours.

Results

When your scan is complete, it will be routed to a board-certified molecular imaging radiologist for interpretation. At that time, your doctor will receive a detailed report of the findings. In most cases, the report is complete within 24 hours.