Your CT Angiography Procedure

As part of the exam, you'll be positioned on a scanner table. Then, in just a few minutes a special state-of-the-art, high-speed scanner from Siemens Medical Solutions captures hundreds of cross-sectional images while contrast is injected into a vein in your arm.

Not only is this technique invaluable for visualizing the blood vessels in your body in ways never before possible, but it's also relatively safe, convenient and minimally invasive.

How should you prepare?
To ensure that we obtain the clearest pictures possible, your cooperation is required. Please talk to the physician referring you for a CT. He will give you detailed information on how to prepare yourself for the examination.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Like other X ray examinations, CT scans should only be performed during pregnancy under extraordinary circumstances because of the exposure of the fetus to radiation.

A few general tips:

• If you have images from previous examinations (including X rays), please bring them with you.
  
• For head and neck examinations: please remove all jewelry, hairpins, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dentures or leave them at home.
• For abdominal examinations: please ask your physician how many hours prior to the examination you should refrain from eating or drinking.
• It is very important to let your physician know if you have had previous allergic reactions to a contrast medium or iodine, or if you have asthma.
• If you have diabetes or take medications: please inform the radiologist or his/her team.
  

Preparation:

• Do not eat any solid food for four hours prior to your scheduled appointment.
• Do not drink any beverage with caffeine for 12 hours prior to your scan.
• You may have clear liquids, such as water, Jell-O, black coffee, tea, broth, or
  apple juice up to one hour before the scan.
• You may take your medications as usual with sips of water.
• If you are diabetic, ask your physician how to adjust your medications the
  day of your test. If you think your blood sugar is low, tell the technologist immediately.
• If you are diabetic and are taking the medications containing metformin, you must be off this medication for 48 hours after undergoing the CT studies. Your kidney functions should be tested (by a blood test) before re-starting Metformin (Glucophage or Glucovance).
• Tell your technologist and your doctor if you are:
  • Pregnant
  • Allergic to iodine and/or shellfish or any medications
  • Undergoing radiation therapy
• If you are over 60 years old, or have a history of kidney problems, you may be required to have a blood test to evaluate your kidney function prior to receiving any contrast.

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