Wednesday, October 15, 2025
San Juan Regional Medical Center Offering Advanced Testing Technology for Coronary Artery Disease
San Juan Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce an advancement in the way we evaluate heart health. Our nuclear cardiac imaging program has transitioned to a PET/CT platform. We are the only hospital in New Mexico besides Heart Hospital of New Mexico and UNM Health with this advanced technology.
Cardiac PET/CT is a type of nuclear stress test that combines two advanced imaging techniques: positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT). This test measures the blood flow through the coronary arteries to the heart muscle to safely and accurately identify the presence or absence of coronary artery disease. By combining PET and CT imaging, physicians obtain much more detailed information, providing more accurate and reliable results than other types of stress testing.
“By using these sophisticated diagnostic tools together, our providers enhance diagnostic certainty, operational efficiency and safety to diagnose coronary artery disease,” said Troy Fuhrman, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at San Juan Regional Medical Center. “These benefits directly affect our patients, who are then able to rule out a problem or get the treatment they need.”
Most cardiac PET exams take less than one hour and involve lying flat on a scanning table made especially for the PET camera. Medication is administered through an IV and small pads called electrodes are placed on the chest to monitor the heart’s electrical activity. A small amount of a radiopharmaceutical is given through the IV line to allow the PET camera to capture pictures of the heart. A doctor trained to interpret cardiac PET exams will review the images to assess blood flow to the heart muscle and/or look for any heart muscle damage and report results to the referring physician.
Benefits of this technology include:
- Faster and more comfortable testing
- More accurate results
- Quicker path to treatment
- Lower exposure to radiation compared to other diagnostic tests
- Reduced need for more invasive procedures
- Safer experience
If you have symptoms and/or risk factors for coronary artery disease, talk with your doctor to see if a cardiac PET exam is right for you.
The journey to better heart health is a collaborative effort. San Juan Regional Medical Center is proud to offer comprehensive cardiac care services 24/7, which includes our San Juan Regional Heart Center, Cardiology inpatient unit, Cardiac Cath Lab, advanced diagnostic imaging, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation and more. To learn more about our wide array of services, visit https://www.sanjuanregional.com/heartcare.