What should I expect as a patient when I come to the Radiology Department for an exam? top

Lexington Clinic South Broadway (LCSB) top
When a patient has a scheduled or work-in appointment at the LCSB Radiology Department, they will check in with the registration department on the 1st floor upon arrival at the Lexington Clinic. Once registered, a patient will be directed to the radiology department where they will be greeted by the radiology support staff and asked to check-in for their procedure. As a patient, once you have checked in for your procedure, the support staff will ask you to wait in our lobby until the radiology technologist calls you for your appointment. Should your wait time for a scheduled exam appointment exceed 20 minutes, please let our reception staff know and we will check on the status of your appointment.

Lexington Clinic East (LCE) top
When a patient has a scheduled or work-in appointment at the LCE Radiology Department, they may check in with the registration department on the 1st floor or in the basement at the LCE location. Once registered, a patient will be directed to the radiology department, located in the basement of the LCE facility, where they will be greeted by the laboratory/radiology reception staff and asked to check-in for their procedure. As a patient, once you have checked in for your procedure, the reception staff will ask you to wait in our lobby until the radiology technologist calls your for your appointment. Should your wait time for a scheduled exam appointment exceed 20 minutes, please let our reception staff know and we will check on the status of your appointment.

CT patients top
• If you are having a CT procedure, you will be asked to fill out a history and screening information form. The information you provide to the technologists on these forms is very important so it is necessary for you to fill them out completely.
• If you are having a CT with IV contrast, you will also be asked to fill out an additional consent form for the IV contrast.
• A Pre-Authorization Form (PAF) will also be given to you (or patient guardian) to read and sign if you have not already done so in the physician’s office.
• If you are having a CT procedure that requires oral contrast, you will be asked to drink oral contrast and/or water depending on what your physician has ordered. The oral contrast and/or water help in getting the appropriate images, or pictures, needed to make an accurate diagnosis. It is very important that you finish drinking the amount given to you.
• Lexington Clinic employees only board certified CT Technologists.

I am having a CT exam. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room, you will either be taken into a sub-waiting room or directly into the scan room. If your physician has ordered the examination with IV contrast, the technologist will start an IV on you. Whether or not your physician orders your CT examination with IV contrast depends upon many factors, so you may want to ask your physician prior to arriving for your appointment. The technologist may also ask that you drink more oral contrast and/or water prior to going into the scan room.

Once you are taken into the scan room, the technologist will have you lie down on a table and position you as comfortably as possible. If your physician has ordered your examination with IV contrast, the technologist will hook your IV up to the contrast.

The technologist will ask you to remain still and begin the scan. You will hear some whirling and humming noises, but nothing that is uncomfortable. If your examination is ordered with IV contrast, the technologist will tell you when they begin to administer the contrast through the IV.

Each CT exam will take a different amount of time for general purposes, they last anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes.

Once your examination is complete, you are free to go. If you had an IV, the technologist will remove it. If you are on certain medications for diabetes, the technologist will inform you of any special instructions. If you had oral contrast, the technologist will instruct you to drink plenty of fluid to avoid constipation. Your physician will contact you in 7-10 days with the results.

MRI Patients top
• If you are having an MRI procedure, you will be asked to fill out a history and screening information form as well as an additional consent form. The information you provide to the technologists on these forms is very important so it is necessary for you to fill them out completely.
• A Pre-Authorization Form (PAF) will also be given to you (or patient guardian) to read and sign if you have not already done so in the physician’s office.
• Lexington Clinic employees only board certified MRI Technologists.

I am having a MRI exam. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room by a technologist, he or she will take you into a private room and go over the information you provided on the form. The technologist will review with you any surgeries you have had during your entire lifetime, any implants or metal objects you have had implanted (surgically or otherwise) and your current symptoms. You will be asked to remove any metal from your person and you may be asked to change into a gown.

The technologist will be responsible for making sure it is safe for you to enter a magnetic field. Upon doing so, the technologist will take you into the scan room, where the images, or pictures, are to be obtained.

The technologist will position you on the table appropriate to the body part to be imaged. Usually a coil is placed around or over the body part to be imaged. This aids in getting good images. You may also be given earplugs for the examination. Although we do have “quiet gradient” MRI scanners, some people still prefer to not hear the noise at all.

Once you have been positioned and the technologist makes you as comfortable as possible, you will be asked to remain completely still during the duration of the examination. This is very important because an MRI scanner works close to that of a camera in that if you move during an exposure, the pictures will be blurry.

Each MRI exam will take a different amount of time. For general purposes, they last anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Your physician may or may not order your MRI examination with IV contrast. This depends on a number of criteria so you may want to ask your physician prior to arriving for your MR appointment. If your physician orders the scan with IV contrast then the technologist will get some images of the body part, then pull you out of the scanner for the injection and then put you back in for more imaging. It is very important that you do not move out of position during the entire procedure, as the Radiologist needs to see the images taken before the injection and after the injection in the exact same position.

Once your examination is complete, you are free to leave. Your physician will contact you in approximately 7-10 days.

IVP patients top
• If you are having an IVP procedure, you will be asked to fill out a history and screening information form as well as sign a consent for the contrast media. The information you provide on these forms is very important so it is necessary that you fill them out completely.
• Lexington Clinic employees only board certified Diagnostic Technologists.

What is x-ray contrast (x-ray dye) for a CT scan or an IVP exam? top
Some exams require contrast, or dyes, to help enhance the visualization of certain tissues. The x-ray contrast improves the diagnostic quality of the examination by making abnormalities more apparent.

If x-ray dye is needed, it is administered by injection into a vein. You may feel a slight sensation during this injection. The newer non-ionic contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) has been chosen for intravenous use at Lexington Clinic. Those persons allergic to iodine (such as shellfish) should notify their doctor prior to any CT scan or IVP exam. Though these agents have been shown to be safer than the formerly used contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye), any injection carries some risks. Approximately 95% of all reactions to the contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) are mild to moderate in nature and may include itching, hives, and swelling of the lips and eyes. Some respiratory and cardiac reactions may be more serious and require medical treatment. These problems are usually recognized promptly and treated without difficulty. The risk of death (1 out of every 100,000 exams) is no greater than from an injection of penicillin. On rare occasions, the contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) could leak out of the vessel and cause skin damage.

What is x-ray contrast (x-ray dye) for an MRI exam? top
In certain cases, it may be necessary for you to receive an injection of a “contrast media”. The contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) injection allows for even more detailed images of certain structures inside of your body. This contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) has been proven to be very safe. In a very small percentage of cases, headaches or nausea have been noted up to 24 hours following contrast administration. In an even smaller percentage of cases, agitation, high or low blood pressure, stomach pain or convulsions may be noted. These reactions are very rare; however, these complications or other more serious complications including cardiac arrest or death must be considered as any injection does carry some risks. Although the MRI procedure and contrast media (x-ray contrast/x-ray dye) injection is very safe, we believe it to be in your best interest to understand what is involved.

Why am I a work-in patient? top
Upon occasion, your physician will ask the Radiology Department to work-in your radiology procedure between other scheduled patients having similar testing done. We attempt to work you in at a time that will require you to have a minimal wait, however, there are times when your wait may exceed a 1-2 hour period. We appreciate your understanding while we are working you in.

My Lexington Clinic physician wants me to bring my films back for an appointment. How long will I wait? top
Your physician may ask that you bring your films with you to doctor’s appointment after you have had your exam. Please make sure that you tell the radiology technologist that your physician wants you to take your films back with you. Once your exam has been performed, the technologist will have you wait in the lobby while the radiologist is reading your films. Please allow at least 45 minutes to 1 hour for your films to be read. If you are running close to making your appointment time, please let our reception staff know and we will call the office and let them know you are waiting for your films.

I am having an Ultrasound exam. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room by a technologist, you will be taken to the ultrasound room. Upon entering the exam room, a sonographer will take a brief history and ask several questions pertinent to the study. You will be asked to lie on an exam table and a conducting gel will be applied to your skin. An instrument called a transducer is then used to capture images on a television like monitor. The images are then transferred to film for a radiologist to view. Occasionally, a radiologist may come into the room while you are being scanned. Exams typically take 20-60 minutes. Lexington Clinic employs only board certified ultrasonographers.

I am having a Nuclear Medicine exam. What should I expect? top
Nuclear Medicine uses a tiny amount of radioactive tracer or radiopharmaceuticals that go to specific organs, tissues or bones. These radiopharmaceuticals may be administered orally or injected immediately before or 48 hours prior to the scan.

Once you are called from the waiting room by a nuclear technologist, the technologist will take a brief history and ask several questions pertinent to the study. The administered radiopharmaceutical will emit gamma rays. Once in position on the nuclear medicine table, a special camera that works with computers to form images that provide data about the area in question detects these rays. These images are transferred to film for a radiologist to review. Exams typically take 30-60 minutes. Lexington Clinic employs only board certified nuclear medicine technologists.

I am having an IVP exam. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room, the technologist will escort you to a dressing room, go over the information you provided and ask you to change into a gown.

Once you are taken into the exam room, the technologist will ask you to lie down on a table and take two or three x-rays. These are called “scout” films, which help us learn the exact location of your kidneys. The technologist will ask you to not move out of position and leave the room to develop these films. Upon returning, the technologist will use a “butterfly” needle to give you the contrast. Once all of the contrast has been administered, the technologist will begin taking more x-rays at certain time increments. During this time, the films are being developed and shown to a Radiologist.

Once the Radiologist has all of the information needed, he will have the technologist remove the needle and release you. If you are on certain medications for Diabetes, the technologist will give you special instructions. Your physician will contact you in 7-10 days with the results.

I am having an Esophagram. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room, the technologist will escort you to a private dressing booth. Here the technologist will ask you specific questions about your symptoms and will have you change into a gown if appropriate. The technologist will then explain your examination to you.

You will be taken into the fluoroscopy suite by the technologist where the table will be in the upright position. You will be asked to stand on the footrest of the table and remain standing. The technologist will give you a cup of oral contrast, also known as barium, to drink. The Radiologist will give you instructions on when to drink. As you are drinking, the Radiologist will use the fluoro tower, like a very large camera, to look inside of your body like an x-ray. The Radiologist may have the technologist also put the table back to a horizontal position during the exam, which will then have you lying down to evaluate further.

This examination will typically take 20-30 minutes to perform.

Once your examination is complete, you are free to go. The technologist will instruct you to drink plenty of liquids to avoid constipation. Your physician will contact you in 7-10 days with the results.

I am having an Upper GI. What should I expect? top
Once you are called from the waiting room, the technologist will escort you to a private dressing booth. Here the technologist will ask you specific questions about your symptoms and will have you change into a gown if appropriate. The technologist will then explain your examination to you.

You will be taken into an examination room and an x-ray of your abdomen will be obtained. This is called a “scout” film, which helps us learn the exact location of your anatomy. The technologist will develop the film and show it to the Radiologist who will be performing the examination.

You will then be taken into the fluoroscopy suite by the technologist where the table will be in the upright position. You will be asked to stand on the footrest of the table and remain erect. The technologist will give you a cup of oral contrast, also known as barium, to drink. The Radiologist will give you instructions on when to drink. As you are drinking, the Radiologist will use the fluoro tower, like a very large camera, to look inside of your body like an x-ray. The Radiologist will then have the technologist also put the table back to a horizontal position during the exam, which will then have you lying down. The Radiologist will ask you to move around in several different positions in order to see the appropriate anatomy. Once the Radiologist is finished, he will step out of the room and the technologist will take several more pictures of your abdomen in different positions.