With increasing changes in eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, the occurrence of cardiac health issues is on the rise. At the acute level, heart disease doesn’t affect the quality of life that much but if left untreated or undetected, it becomes chronic and sometimes life-threatening.
Studies also clarify that the timely and accurate detection of heart health issues plays a vital role in the treatment’s success. When it comes to the highly accurate and timely detection of cardiac health issues, a Cardiac PET scan is considered to be the ideal choice.
A Cardiac PET scan is a diagnostic procedure that monitors the flow of blood to your heart to assess the heart for evaluating heart functions. This scan requires the involvement of a very small amount of radioactive tracer, a special camera to detect the radiation that is released by the tracer, and a computer system to capture the images of your heart.
Because the PET Scan is an advanced method for diagnosing the problem, that’s why some people consider the work and reason of a PET Scan mystery because not everyone has undergone a PET Scan for their problem.
If you are searching for a PET Scan centre near you then choose Ganesh Diagnostic and imaging centre. As they are equipped with the most advanced technology and best services available in more than 5 Branches in delhi. Hence you can opt for the nearest PET Scan Centre near me.
In this article, we will answer the question that commonly comes into the mind of people to help you understand in brief about the PET Scan, its working, how it is helpful as well as the limitation of the PET Scan. Keep reading this article to know about the cardiac PET scan.
What is Cardiac PET Scan?
PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan) is an advanced imaging procedure that detects the metabolic function of tissues and organs. A cardiac PET scan is an imaging investigation of your heart and its functioning. This scanning procedure uses a radioactive tracer which is injected to identify the changes in the tissue and organs in the case of disease.
Why Is a Cardiac PET Scan Done?
There are multiple reasons for recommending a cardiac PET scan such as:
- This scan is recommended with the aim to detect Coronary artery disease (CAD) that occurs due to blockage or narrowing of the arteries which carry blood and oxygen to the heart.
- There can be various conditions that cause heart failure. To detect heart failure and reasons for heart
- If you are experiencing the symptoms of heart-related troubles such as Irregular heartbeat, chest pain, tightness in the chest, breathing problem, weakness, and unexplained but persistent sweating.
- To select the accurate and ideal treatment of the problem.
How does a Cardiac PET Scan work?
The cardiac PET Scan procedure is highly safe and accurate to detect cardiac health problems.
The mentioned below are the step by step procedures, you need to understand:
First, the technologist will ask you to seat in a chair to insert an IV into your arm. Then he will inject the radioactive tracers through IV in your veins.
Because the body needs time to absorb the radioactive tracers, the technologist will ask you to wait for an hour for the scanning procedure.
During the time taken by the body to absorb the radioactive tracer, the technologist will place multiple electrodes to conduct the ECG for monitoring the heart rate.
After an hour, the technologist will instruct you to lie on an examination table to undergo the scan. Once the procedure starts, the examination table will slide slowly and smoothly into the scanner.
Once the radioactive tracer breaks down inside the body and releases the waves which are detected by the scanner and converted into electrical signals for transforming the signals into images of the targeted tissue to identify the functioning of the heart.
After obtaining the images, the Technologist will slide you out of the scanner and then remove the electrodes.
Limitations of Cardiac PET Scan
Like every coin has two faces, every imaging procedure has some benefits and some limitations too. But the benefits of cardiac PET scans far outweigh the minimal risks. Still, we will discuss the risks.
Because you need to lie motionless on the scanning table for about 2 hours, so you may experience discomfort.
The exposure to radiation is very low. But, still, it is not safe for pregnant ladies because it can harm the fetus.
How Much Time Does Cardiac PET Scan Take?
The entire process of a Cardiac PET Scan which includes the intravenous radioactive tracer and scanning takes around 90 mins to 120 mins.
What Is The Price Of A Cardiac PET Scan?
Around the globe, the Cardiac PET Scan price is between Rs. 14000 to 30000. But the benefits of cardiac pet scans far outweigh the cost.
Conclusion
There are various types of diagnostic procedures available to detect a variety of heart health issues. Every diagnostic procedure has some benefits. A cardiac PET scan is among those diagnostic procedures growing quickly. A cardiac PET Scan is used to diagnose a wide range of cardiac health issues and associated symptoms with higher diagnostic accuracy than other techniques. The detection of cardiac health issues at accurate staging reduces the chance of cardiac health issues being fatal.