The Heart of Reston

Reston Radiology Consultants would like to thank you for choosing PET of Reston. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of care at a very affordable cost while maintaining excellent patient satisfaction.

 

What is a PET/CT Scan?

Positron Emission Tomography, also called PET imaging or a PET scan, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. PET imaging is non-invasive, with the exception of an intravenous injection, and painless. It uses a small amount of a radioactive material, called a radiotracer, to measure important body functions. By identifying changes at a cellular level, PET imaging has potential to identify diseases in their earliest stages, measure an individual's response to therapeutic interventions and determine the severity of various diseases including many types of cancers, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body.
Computed Tomography, also known as CT imaging, uses special x-ray equipment to produce images of the structure of the body. The combination of PET and CT provide physicians with detailed images that pinpoint the anatomic location of abnormal function. The combined imaging is more accurate than if the two scans were performed separately. 

 

Preparation for Your Exam 

• Please do not eat or drink anything, except water, for six (6) hours prior to your scheduled appointment unless otherwise instructed.

• You may take all prescribed medications unless specifically instructed not to do so. 

• Avoid all caffeine for 24 hours prior to your exam.

• Avoid strenuous physical activity 24 hours prior to your appointment. Undertake only minimal physical activity on the day of the exam. 

• Please wear comfortable clothes, arrive on time as instructed by our PET Patient Coordinator, and leave valuables at home. Most appointments last approximately two (2) hours. The type of study will determine the exact length of your appointment. 

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Registration Paperwork/Process

• The registration process takes approximately 20 minutes. We ask you arrive 30 minutes prior to your exam time to complete all necessary paperwork and to use the restroom prior to beginning your exam.

• When arriving for your appointment, please be prepared to provide a government issued photo ID, Insurance Card, copy of the physician's order (we should have a copy, but request you bring the order should you have it) and any previous imaging study results (i.e. CT, MRI, PET, Nuclear Medicine, and/or x-ray exams).

• To expedite the registration process, you may log into the Patient Portal to complete preliminary questionnaires prior to your scheduled exam.

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What To Expect?

• One of our compassionate, specialty trained PET Technologists will assist you to our PET Suite. They will review your paperwork, ask questions pertaining to your case and explain the procedure to you.

• You will receive an injection of a radiotracer made up of glucose and a short-lived radioisotope.

• You will rest quietly for 45-60 minutes while the radiotracer travels throughout your body. The minimal radiation associated with the radiotracer is safe and much lower than that associated with many diagnostic CT scans. You will not feel warmth, pain, or discomfort with the injection.

• When it is time for the imaging, the technologist will assist you to lie on your back. Every effort will be made to make you as comfortable as possible. You will pass slowly through a body scanner that resembles a CT scanner. The scanner detects and records signals emitted by the radiotracer. A computer processes these signals into images. The scan will take approximately 30-45 minutes. 

 

After Your PET/CT Exam

• You should feel fine, as there are no known side effects from the injected tracer.

• The processed images will be reviewed by one of our Radiologists.

• The results are sent to your physician within 24 hours.

• Please call only your physician for the results of the study so you can follow up as your physician has instructed.