For more information on your procedure click on CT.

Allow 10 to 15 minutes to check in at the SCP reception desk before your study.
There is usually not much preparation before the CT, but it depends on which part of your body is to be scanned. You will need to remove any metal objects from your body such as jewellery, hairclips, etc. It is best not to wear clothes with metal zips, studs etc. You may be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours before your scan.
If intravenous dye (iodine) will be needed, we will arrange for the necessary blood tests to confirm that your renal function is normal. This is not routinely necessary and we adhere to international criteria in patients at risk.
In some situations, depending on what part of the body is being scanned, one of the following may be needed:

• For abdominal and pelvic scans you may be asked to have a special drink before the scan. This helps to show up the stomach and bowel more clearly.
• Sometimes a dye (contrast medium) is injected into the bloodstream via a vein in your arm. The dye may give you a feeling of a warm flush and an metallic taste in your mouth. This will soon go away.

The above contrast agents absorb a certain amount of x-rays going through your body. This helps to give better contrast between different organs and tissues on the scan pictures.
Let the Radiographer Know
For the success of the procedure and for your safety, tell the Radiographer:
If you are pregnant or suspect you may not be able not to have the CT for this or another reason.  If you have had previous X-rays of the part of your body to be examined, please bring these with you. Comparing previous X-rays with new ones assists in more accurate diagnosis.

The CT scan itself is painless. You cannot see or feel x-rays. You will be asked to stay as still as possible as otherwise the scan pictures may be blurred. You will be asked to keep your breath still. On our new generation scanners this will never be for longer than is comfortable, unless you are extremely short of breath, under which circumstances we will accommodate the situation.
Sometimes a dye (contrast medium) is injected into the bloodstream via a vein in your arm. The dye may give you a feeling of a warm flush and a metallic taste in your mouth. This will soon go away.

 You will need to co-operate with your breathing as was mentioned above.  Taking the necessary oral preparation before the study in indicated cases will help with the diagnostic quality of the scan.

Under normal circumstances you will be able to leave after the procedure.  If you have had an interventional procedure we make keep you for 30 – 45 minutes to evaluate for any possible complications. Patients who needed to be sedated for the study, will not be allowed to drive.

The time needed to report a CT depends on the region examined. As a rule however the new multidetector technology used by SCP generates literally thousands of images which need to be scrutinized carefully.  As a result the reports take longer and you might need to wait for some time.  We would therefore suggest to those patients who are not travelling from far away where possible, to have their CT study the day or morning before they will be visiting their referring physician.  However, we realize that we have a large number of patients coming from far away and in many cases it is not always possible for our local patients to plan the procedures in advance. You can rest assured we will accommodate you as quickly as possible.