Wear comfortable clothing, although you may still be given a gown to wear during the scan. Please inform the technologist of any medications you are taking or if you have any allergies, especially to contrast materials or if there is any possibility that you may be pregnant.

The prep prior to your CT depends on the study that is ordered.

• CT without oral or IV contrast:
  • No Prep
• CT with oral contrast only:
  • Drink lots of water the day before your test. DO NOT eat or drink 4 hours prior to exam. For abdominal / pelvis, do not eat or drink 8 hours prior to exam. You will be required to drink approximately 900ml ( 2 bottles ) of oral contrast about 90 minutes prior to CT exam.
• CT with IV contrast:
  • Drink lots of water the day before your test
  • DO NOT eat or drink 4 hours prior to test. For abdominal / pelvis, do not eat or drink 8 hours prior to exam.
  • Take all medications except those that contain Metformin

Metformin is a medicine that should not be taken on the day of a CT scan, due to the use of iodine contrast material. You may restart your metformin medication 48 hours after your CT has been completed, however contact your Primary Care physician or Nephrologist before resuming to see if lab work is required to evaluate your renal functions. Drink plenty of fluids, at least six 8oz glasses of water to help flush out your kidneys.

Common medicines that contain metformin include:

• Glucophage
• Avandemet
• Fortamet
• Glumetza
• Actoplusmet
• Janumet
• Metaglip
• Riomet
• PrandiMet
• Kombiglyze XR

During:

The CT scanner is shaped like a large doughnut. You will lie on a motorized table that will slide through the opening. While the table moves into the scanner you will hear a buzzing / whirring noise. That noise is the detectors and x-ray tube rotating around you to create an image. You may be asked to hold your breath at certain points throughout the exam to avoid blurring the images. If contrast material is used, it will be injected through an IV line into a vein in your arm during the procedure. You may experience a hot sensation in your body or a metallic taste in your mouth, which is very common.

After:

After the exam you can return to your normal activities. If you were given a contrast material, you may receive special instructions like drink plenty of fluids to help your kidneys remove the contrast material from your body.

An aspiration or drainage is a procedure that takes a collection of fluid from in the body. Today’s procedure is performed with the help of ultrasound guidance.

Aspiration: a needle is inserted into the fluid and a sample is collected. This sample is then taken to a lab for testing.

Drainage: a tube is inserted into the collection to drain the fluid until the collection is gone.

These procedures may require an injection of local anesthetic.

The risks and complications with this procedure can include but not limited to the following:

• Pain and discomfort at the puncture siteBleeding or bruising
• Nerve damage temporary or permanent, but very rare
• Damage to surrounding structures such as blood vessel, organs and muscles , requiring further treatment
• Allergies to injected drugs
• Death as a result of this procedure is very rare
• An increase lifetime cancer risk due to the exposure to X-rays (CT and X-ray only)

Coastal Imaging is the only practice group in Savannah to offer the High-Field Open MRI, a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that results in the highest quality imaging and surgical quality studies.

The High-Field Open MRI is the perfect option for patients who don’t feel comfortable in a traditional MRI due to their size. It has a higher table limit of 600 pounds compared to 350 pounds in the other MRIs.

And because the High-Field Open MRI is open with full access all around it, parents can get close and hold their child’s hand during the procedure.

Before:

Upon arriving, you will need to register for the test. Be prepared to list your prior surgeries and current medications. Once registration is completed and your appointment time nears, an MRI Technologist will escort you back to the interview room. This is where the technologist will explain the procedure and answer any questions.
You may be asked to change and remove all metal jewelry, hair pins, piercings etc. You will be provided a place to lock up your belongings because the MRI will erase credit cards, stop a watch from running and damage any electronic devices, such as phone and iPod.

During:

Once you are on the table, you will be given either ear plugs or headphones due to the loud knocking noise made by the scanner.
Your test will take about 30 minutes to complete, however some test do require an hour. The most important piece of information to remember is to lie completely still. If you move, it will result in longer scan time.
You may become warm during the exam. This is normal, due to the radio waves that are used to obtain the images.
Depending on the test ordered, you may require an injection of contrast material called Gadolinium. If your test is ordered with contrast and you are over 60, have high blood pressure, kidney or liver disease, we will need to run some lab work to check renal functions prior to the contrast injection. This is done here in the MRI department.

After:

Once the test is completed you will be escorted back to the changing room to collect your belongings.

• Eat normally and take your usual medications.
• Dress comfortably; leave jewelry and any other metal objects at home.
• If you are claustrophobic (fear of enclosed spaces) inform your physician so a mild sedation can be prescribed.
• Inform your physician of any metal implants (artificial heart valve, pacemaker, neurostimulator, drug infusion pump, brain aneurysm clips)

Some examples of what can be examined through an x-ray include:

• Bones fractures or infections
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Breast Cancer
• Lung infections
• Enlarged heart
• Digestive issues

Fluoroscopy services include:

• Arthrograms
• Barium Enema
• Myelograms
• Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series
  • Upper GI
  • Small Bowel
  • Barium Swallow

Ultrasound services include:

• Venous Ultrasound
• Pelvic Ultrasound
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Carotid Ultrasound
• Ultrasound guided biopsy