| |||||||||||||||
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Thistle do? We provide high quality digital medical imaging services to physicians throughout Windsor and Essex County. Our four offices make these much needed imaging services available LOCALLY despite "draconian" government IHF Regulations limiting community based service care providers and present Ontario Government restrictions relating to Physician and IHF Clinic billings. Employing state of the art technology, these facilities also achieve a standard of care previously unheard of in a Canadian private clinic. Where are we located? There are four facilities throughout the Windsor/Essex County area, each providing a variety of services. For detailed information on how you can contact us and/or locate these sites click here.
What is a myocardial perfusion scan? A myocardial perfusion scan is used to evaluate coronary artery disease, which is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart muscle. As this disease progresses, the heart may not receive enough exygen at times, especially when it's under stress. This may result in a chest pain called angina. The scan uses radioactice substances (radionuclides), in the form of thallium and technicium, which can be used to produce pictures of a patient's heart. When the radionuclide is injected into the bloodstream, it travels to the heart muscle through the coronary arteries. This process can be visualized by a special camera. Do not eat or drink any products containing caffeine for twelve hours before the test. This includes coffee, tea, colas and chocolate. Do not eat anything at all for at least four hours before the test. If you are diabetic and are taking medicaiton for diabetes, you may eat as you normally would. You may drink at any time. Do not smoke three hours before the test. Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes or sneakers suitable for treadmill walking. If your clothing size is unusually large or small, please bring your own T-shirt and shorts or pants. You will be working hard during this test and comfortable clothing will make it easier for you. You will exercise by walking on a treadmill or if you are unable to adequately exercise, your cardiologist will admisister medicine to simulate exercise. Your heart rhythm will be monitored with an EKG (electrocardiograph machine) and multiple blood pressure reading will be taken. The radionuclide will be injectected throughout an intravenous line approximately one minute before you stop exercising. After the exercise portion of the test, images will be taken of your heart. You will lie on your back on an imaging table while a special camera circles slowly around your chest for thirty minutes. After the first set of images has been taken, you may leave the examination room. You will be asked to return the next day for another injection of the radionuclide and a second set of pictures. These do not require exercise or medicine to simulate exercise. Because the size of your meal before the second set of images may affect the quality, please eat lightly and avoid caffeine. On occasion, your cardiologist may prefer a one (1) day protocol. This entails both portions of the exam the same day, with the resting exam first and the exercise to follow (2 injections and 2 scans). How long will it take? The first exercise and imaging session will take approximately one and a half hours. The second injection and imaging session will take approximately one hour. The one day combination will take approximately five hours. Are Radionuclides safe ? There are no adverse reactions to the injection we give you. You will not feel anything from the injection. The radiation exposure from this test (.63 rem) is similar to most routine X-ray procedures. How Will I learn the results? After the Exam, a radiologist will evaluate the images and repeat them to your own physician. your physician will explain the results to you.
What is a bone scan? Bone scans are used to detect diseases of the bone at the earliest possible time. Bone scans are often more sensitive than X-rays in diagnosing infections, tumors and fractures. What does a bone scan entail? You will receive an injection of a radioactive substance in a vein in your arm. This material travels through the bloodstream, into the soft tissue, eventually localizing in the bones. You will not feel anything from this injection. We may take some images during the injection to evaluate the blood flow to a particular area where you may be having pain. The bone scan itself will be done tthree hours after injection. The scan takes 30-50 minutes. You will lie on your bakc on an imaging table. The camera will be positioned above and below you. The camera will scan the entire length of your body, starting at your head and moving slowly to your feet. A SPECT (tomographic) study may be done to look at a particular area of your body in detail. This involves an additional 30 minutes of imaging while the camera rotates 360 degrees around you. In some instances X-rays may be needed ot clarify bone scan findings. Is any special preparation required before having a bone scan? No special preparation is required before the bone scan. You will be asked ot drink fluids in the three hours between injection and scan and to empty your bladder frequently. this helps to clear the injected material from your soft tissue and improves the quality of the bone scan. How will I learn the results? After the exam a specialist will evaluate the images and repeat them to your physician. Your physician will explain the results to you. How safe is the procedure? Nuclear medicine procedures are very safe. The radioactive material is quickly cleared from your body. The radiation dose from this test (0.13 rem) is similar to the most routine X-ray procedures.
What is the purpose of this scan? A heptobiliary scan is performed to evaluate the function of the gallbladder and to determine whether there is an obstruction of the hapatic ducts. How is a hepatobiliary scan performed? An IV is placed in the vein of your arm. A small amount of a radioactive material is injected through the IV site. you will be asked ot lie down on a table. A camera that can detect radioactivity will be positioned above your stomach to take photos. It is very important that you do not move during the scan. If, after one hour, your gallbladder can be seen with the scanning equipment, you will be given a special medication called CCK that will provide informaiton about how well your gallbladder is working. If your gallbladder cannot be seen, you may be given a small dose of medication, which will aid in visualizing the gallbladder. The scan will take about 30 minutes to complete. If you receive morphine during your scan, you must have someone drive you home. How do I prepare for this scan? You must not eat anything for four to six hours before the scan. We recommend that you arrage to have someone drive you home after the test. How will I feel after I have a hepatobiliary scan? The radioactive shot will have no effect on how you feel. You may, however, feel some discomfort from the CCK or the medicaiton. This discomfort will not last long. How soon will my doctor get the results? After the procedure is complete, a nuclear medicine physician will study the pictures along with your medical history to make an assessment of what the images show. He will then dictate a report that will be forwarded to your physician within five to seven business days. If your doctor needs the results sooner, he/she may contact the nuclear medicine physician on the day of the exam.
How is it different than a regular X-ray? In conventional X-rays or CT examinations. The radiation comes out of a machine and then passes through that patient's body. Nuclear medicine exams, however, use the opposite approach: a radioactive material is introduced in the patient's body (usually by injection), and is then detected by a machine called a gamma camera. Is it safe? Actually, the radioactive materials used have very short half-lives, which means that they decay rapidly into non-radioactive form. Therefore, radioactive material is only inside the patient for a very short time, and the total dose of radiation is relatively small - similar and sometimes even less than in many other kinds of X-ray procedures. Why not just get a regular X-ray? X-rays and nuclear medicine serve both overlapping and different functions, X-rays produce a structural image of an organ - in other words, they tell us what the organ looks like. On the other hand, nuclear scans can locate areas of altered funtion. That is, they can tell us whether the organ is working properly. for example, in one kind of nuclear scan called bone imaging, abnormalities are apparent weeks or months before they appear on X-rays. On the X-ray one might see that the bone is not broken, but on the bone scan, physicians can diagnose metabolic changes caused by small tumors, fine fractures, or degenerative diseases such as arthritis. The Nuclear Medicine Department is accredited by the American College of Radiology.
|
|||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
|
General Questions