The PET scan shows the health of the vessels supplying the blood to your heart, the heart muscle and the tissue surrounding your heart. The doctor can see which arteries are narrowed or blocked and which heart muscles are damaged. In many instances, a doctor can determine the best treatment for you without having to perform invasive tests such as cardiac catheterization. Many patients previously told that their arteries were too damaged or that they had too little muscle left for any procedures to take place have been given new hope. Many are now able to advantage of previously unavailable options.
False positives can lead to unnecessary procedures.
PET scans are often used to confirm other tests when a false positive is suspected. The procedure is fairly simple. You lie on a bed and the doctor takes a PET Image of your heart in a calm state with the PET camera. A small amount of dipyridamole is injected into a vein in your arm followed by an injection of trace. The doctor can then see which arteries are blocked and where the damaged tissue is located in your heart because blood does not pass into those veins and tissues.