They say knowledge is power! Knowing what to expect from your imaging appointment will help you have a positive patient experience. Please select a service below to learn more about what to expect during your procedure, how to prepare for it, and when to expect your results.
PSMA PET/CT
What to Expect on your PSMA PET/CT Scan Appointment:
- Please arrive approximately 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for the registration process.
- Please wear warm and comfortable clothing to keep on during the scan.
- No fasting is required prior to the PSMA PET/CT scan.
- Patients should drink 32-ounces of water the morning of the scan.
- After check-in, you will be taken to a private room where the radioactive tracer will be administered as an intravenous injection in your arm.
- You will rest comfortably for 60 minutes while the radioactive tracer is absorbed throughout your body.
- You will empty your bladder prior to the scan.
- You will be taken to the PET imaging machine, where you will lie still on the scanner bed and remain for approximately 20 minutes while the machine scans your body. The PSMA PET/CT scan is completely painless and has no side effects.
- The scans are sent to the nuclear medicine physician to evaluate. That report and the PET images are then reviewed by your physician, who will contact you with the results within 1-2 business days.
- No strenuous exercise is recommended for the day of your scan, such as working out, jogging, etc.
- You can expect to be at the imaging center for approximately 2 hours from start to finish.
PET/CT
What to expect from your PET/CT:
- A PET/CT is completely painless and has no side effects.
- Please fast for 4-6 hours before your appointment. You will receive an injection of a harmless amount of radioactive glucose, which is distributed throughout the body. About 30-60 minutes after the injection, you will empty your bladder, then lie down on a scanner bed. Images will be taken of your body as you lie still on the scanner bed.
- A typical scan takes approximately 30 – 60 minutes, depending on the type of scan you are having (i.e., whole body, brain, etc.) You can expect to be at the imaging center for approximately 2 hours from start to finish.
Preparing for your PET/CT:
- Please arrive approximately 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for the registration process.
- Dress comfortably and warmly. Scanner rooms can sometimes be cool.
- Avoid eating anything for at least 4-6 hours before your scan (this includes sugar-free gum, mints, candy and beverages other than water).
- No strenuous exercise the day of your exam (example: working out, jogging, etc.).
- Be prepared to lie still while the scan is performed.
Getting your PET/CT results:
- Your PET/CT results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
MRI
What to expect from your MRI:
- You will be asked to lie very still for 30-60 minutes.
- The machine will be loud at times and you will hear loud thumping or tapping. Earplugs will be provided to you during your scan.
- In some cases, a contrast material may be needed to highlight the area(s) of the body being scanned. This material, usually iodine, helps to emphasize blood vessels and other structures relevant to your medical issues. It will be administered by a small IV catheter in the arm. Please notify our staff if you are allergic to iodine.
- During MRI scans of the brain, you may be asked to perform small tasks, such as manipulating small objects or simply answering a few questions. These tasks help pinpoint portions of the brain that control such actions.
Preparing for your MRI:
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for the registration process.
- For MRIs with contrast, please avoid eating anything for at least 4-6 hours before your scan. This includes sugar-free gum, mints, candy, and beverages other than water.
- Please notify your technician if you are claustrophobic or if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
- Dress comfortably and warmly. Scanner rooms can sometimes be cool. (Depending on the part of your body being scanned, you may be asked to remove your clothing and put on a gown or exam shorts.)
- Please remove any metal objects that may interfere with the scan, such as piercings or jewelry.
- Due to the strong magnetic field used for the MRI, our staff will ask if you have:
- A heart pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or artificial heart valve
- Any prosthetic joints (hip or knee)
- Any metal plates, pins, screws, or surgical staples in your body
- Any bullets or metal shrapnel in your body
- Tattoos
Getting your MRI results:
- Your MRI results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
CT Scan
What to expect from your CT:
- CT Scans are painless and take only 5-30 minutes to complete.
- You will be at the imaging center for approximately one hour from start to finish.
- The process takes place on a scanning table designed to slide through the scanner, which resembles a large “donut hole.”
- In some cases, a contrast material may be needed to highlight the area(s) of the body being scanned. This material, usually iodine, helps to emphasize blood vessels and other structures relevant to your medical issues. It will be administered by a small IV catheter in the arm. Please notify our staff if you are allergic to iodine.
Preparing for your CT:
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for the registration process.
- Dress comfortably and warmly. Scanner rooms can sometimes be cool. (Depending on the part of your body being scanned, you may be asked to remove your clothing and put on a gown or exam shorts.)
- Please remove any metal objects that may interfere with the scan, such as piercings or jewelry.
- Avoid eating anything for at least 4-6 hours before your scan. This includes sugar-free gum, mints, candy, and beverages other than water.
- Please do not do any strenuous exercise on the day of your exam (e.g., working out, jogging, etc.)
Getting your CT results:
- Your CT scan results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
Nuclear Medicine
What to expect from your nuclear medicine scan:
- About an hour before your scan, a safe and harmless radioactive tracer will be injected into your body.
- Most of the radioactivity passes out of your body in urine or stool. The rest simply disappears through natural loss of radioactivity over time.
- Some nuclear medicine procedures will require more than one visit in the same day or will require more time to acquire images compared to other procedures, like a CT scan or X-ray. Be sure to budget extra time and talk with your doctor about the unique time requirements for your exam.
Preparing for your nuclear medicine scan:
- For HIDA scans and gastric emptying exams, please have nothing to eat for at least 4 hours prior to your exam. Also, please do not take pain medicine for at least 12 hours prior to your exam.
- For bone scans, patients may eat and drink as normal.
- If the procedure involves evaluation of the kidneys, you may need to drink plenty of water before the test.
- If the procedure involves evaluation of the stomach, you may have to skip the meal immediately before the test.
- Before your exam begins, please notify your technologist if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
- Please inform your physician and the technologist performing the exam about:
- Any medications you are taking, including vitamins and herbal supplements
- Any allergies you have
- Any recent illnesses or other medical conditions
- Depending on the type of exam, you may be asked to wear a gown during the exam or you may be allowed to wear your own clothing.
- If possible, please leave jewelry and other metallic accessories at home. Otherwise, they should be removed prior to your exam because they may interfere with the procedure.
Getting your nuclear medicine scan results:
- Your nuclear medicine scan results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
Ultrasound
What to expect from your ultrasound:
- For most ultrasound exams, you will be positioned lying face-up on an examination table that can be tilted or moved. Patients may be turned to either side to improve the quality of the images.
- After you are positioned on the examination table, the sonographer will apply a warm water-based gel to the area of the body being studied. The gel will help the transducer make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin that can block the sound waves from passing into your body. The transducer is placed on the body and moved back and forth over the area of interest until the desired images are captured.
- There is usually no discomfort from pressure as the transducer is pressed against the area being examined. However, if scanning is performed over an area of tenderness, you may feel pressure or minor pain from the transducer.
- Doppler sonography is performed using the same transducer.
Preparing for your ultrasound:
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time.
- You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your ultrasound exam. You may need to remove all clothing and jewelry in the area to be examined.
- You may be asked to wear a gown during the procedure.
- Preparation for the procedure will depend on the type of examination you will have. For some scans your doctor may instruct you not to eat or drink for as many as 12 hours before your appointment. For others you may be asked to drink up to six glasses of water two hours prior to your exam and avoid urinating so that your bladder is full when the scan begins.
Getting your ultrasound results:
- Your ultrasound results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
X-Ray
What to expect from your X-ray:
- An x-ray is a simple procedure, and will take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the areas of the body being x-rayed and the type of injuries being examined.
- A technologist will position your body in the appropriate angle and may ask you to hold your breath for a moment while the image is recorded. The technologist will reposition you for another view and the process is repeated.
Preparing for your X-ray:
- Please arrive approximately 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for the registration process.
- No special preparation is needed.
Getting your X-ray results:
- Your X-ray results will be reported to your referring physician within 1-2 business days. Your referring physician will contact you with your results.
