Diagnosing Heart Disease Through PET·CT Scans
Richard Alexander knows about the dangers of heart disease all too well. Not just because he is a doctor, but because of a family history of heart disease that he has traced back to the 1800s. That’s what brought Richard to Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center several years ago to undergo a PET·CT scan, which allowed his physician, Samuel Mehr, M.D., to image the biological activity and anatomical detail of his heart.
Using a Biograph PET·CT scanner from Siemens Medical Solutions, Dr. Mehr was able to identify early heart disease in Richard, detecting abnormalities in the linings of Richard’s blood vessels. Since the exam caught Richard’s heart disease in its early stages, Dr. Mehr was able to prescribe a personalized treatment plan that, as evidenced by his latest follow-up exam, has resulted in a complete reversal of the heart disease.
The Biograph has also been used extensively at Bergan Mercy Medical Center to diagnose patients who report to the emergency room with chest pain. By giving patients a PET·CT scan, doctors are able to quickly make a more conclusive diagnosis without requiring a 24-hour hospital stay or invasive cardiac procedures that aren’t necessary. It also allows doctors to devise early treatment plans for patients like Richard who have not had a heart attack, but may have been headed for one.
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