Mount Gravatt

• Our team will provide any specific instructions at the time of booking and these should be followed carefully.

• We recommend wearing a separate top and bottoms during your appointment as this makes changing for the examination easier.

• If you are pregnant or there is a possibility of you being pregnant, please let our staff know before your examination.

You may be asked to change into a gown for your scan to ensure clothing does not affect the quality of the scan. You may also be asked to remove any jewellery, glasses or other metal objects that could affect the image quality.

For some CT scans, it may be recommended to have an injection of contrast material (or CT contrast dye). This will be discussed with you prior to your examination.

A CT scanner is a doughnut-shaped machine with a bed passing through the middle. You will be asked to lie on the bed as still as you can to improve the image quality. The bed will move through the scanner to acquire your images.

Throughout the CT you will be able to communicate with the radiographer performing your scan.

You may be given breathing instructions to follow. The radiographer performing your examination will explain this to you before your scan.

A CT scan can take between 5 minutes and 30 minutes depending on which part of the body is scanned and whether you require a contrast injection.

To book a CT appointment with Queensland X-Ray, access our portal here.

The terms CAT scan and CT scan refer to the same type of medical imaging procedure. CAT stands for “Computed Axial Tomography” and CT is simply “Computed Tomography”. Although CAT scan was the first term used, CT scan has become more common in recent years.

The cost of scans are subject to variation based on several factors. We will inform you of the CT scan price at the time of booking. If you have any questions about costs or Medicare eligibility, please feel free to contact us, and one of our team members will be happy to assist you with your query.

• CT scans are a powerful diagnostic tool that can detect life-threatening conditions such as haemorrhage, blood clots, and cancer. Early detection of these conditions can be lifesaving.

• A CT scanner uses X-rays, which produce ionising radiation that have the potential to cause biological effects in living tissue. The risk of developing cancer from X-ray radiation exposure is minimal.

• It is important to note that in almost all cases the benefits of a CT scan outweigh the risks associated with radiation exposure. If you have any concerns about your upcoming CT scan, please do not hesitate to discuss them with your doctor.

Correct preparation for a PET/CT is very important to improve the accuracy of the imaging test. Preparation varies between scans and even with the time of your scan. A detailed preparation sheet will be given to you when you make your appointment.

The tracers used in PET have a shelf life of only a few hours, so it’s important you follow the instructions of your doctor and our nuclear medicine technicians closely. If poor preparation forces your appointment to be rescheduled, the tracer ordered for your appointment will expire and this cost may be passed on to you.

ARRIVAL (15-30MINS)

When you arrive for your appointment, our reception staff will ask you to complete a questionnaire and sign a consent form. Following this, a registered nurse will welcome you through for the procedure. Please be mindful that some patients take longer than others to get settled and your appointment time may vary. We make every effort to keep as closely to appointment times as possible.

TRACER UPTAKE (60-90MINS)

Once you have changed into a gown (if needed), our nurse will help get you settled into a private uptake room. They will then check your blood sugar level and insert an IV cannula, through which the PET tracer will be injected. You will be connected to an IV line and be left to relax while the tracer is infused. During this time, you may be permitted to listen to a podcast/audiobook, or watch TV however; we do not permit any activity that involves holding something to your face (ie. watching a movie on your phone or reading a book) as this can affect the quality of the scan. After approximately one hour of rest, we’ll take you through to the PET/CT scanner.

PET/CT IMAGING (20-30MINS)

A CT scanner is doughnut-shaped with a bed passing through the middle. You will be asked to lie on the bed with your arms stretched above your head as the bed moves through the scanner to acquire your images.

The PET part of the scan detects the radiation released from the tracer which has now moved throughout your body.

The CT part of the scan images your anatomy and alterations in its structure such as size, shape and other changes related to disease.

The PET and CT images are then combined and used together to diagnose, plan, or measure treatment outcomes.

The scan will take between 10 and 25 minutes depending on the reason for your study.

POST IMAGING (20-45MINS)

Following your scan, you will be offered something to eat and be encouraged to stay well hydrated and use the bathroom as required. We will monitor you for 5-15 minutes following and then remove your IV line. During this time we will process your images.

The radioactive tracer remains in your system for a short time following your scan. For this reason, we suggest you limit the time you spend near children and pregnant women for a few hours afterwards.

Your PET/CT scan will be performed under the supervision of our team of our nuclear medicine specialists, technicians, radiographers and nurses.

The images our technical staff acquire are reviewed by a specialist who will report on the findings. Queensland X-Ray has a wide range of medical imaging specialists. Often PET/CT cases are discussed collectively to offer the most thorough clinical analysis.

The cost of PET/CT imaging tests can vary depending on a number of factors. We will provide you with the specific price for your PET/CT scan at the time of your booking. If you have any queries about the costs or your eligibility for Medicare, please don’t hesitate to contact us. A member of our team will be more than willing to assist you with your questions.

We use positron emission tomography (PET) imaging combined with CT scanners to provide unparalleled structural detail as well as insight into

•  the more accurate diagnosis of several diseases such as cancer and heart disease
• determining what combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy is likely to be the most successful in managing a patient’s cancer
• monitoring the effectiveness of therapy and assisting with a plan for surgery and radiotherapy

The combination of the two scans has proven to be more accurate for detecting the early stages of disease, and can detect abnormalities even in the absence of structural change. Small tumours may be found even if they are undetectable by other imaging procedures or CT alone and this can help in selecting the best treatment option for patients.

Preparation before your ultrasound scan is very important. Please follow the instructions given to you at the time of booking carefully and thoroughly.

In some cases you will be asked to fast. This means you should not eat, drink or chew anything 4-6 hours before your appointment. A sip of water is allowed for hydration purposes.

For some ultrasound scans, you will be required to have a full or partially full bladder. You will be able to empty your bladder as soon as the scan is over.

If you have any questions about the preparation for your scan, please contact the Mt Gravatt practice.

For an ultrasound scan, you will generally be required to lie down on an examination table or bed. During the scan, the area of interest will be exposed, with the rest of your body remaining covered to ensure your privacy and comfort. Queensland X-Ray’s highly-trained ultrasound technologists (known as sonographers), will place gel onto your skin and will then place the transducer in the area that is being studied. A moving image is shown instantly on a monitor screen.

Ultrasound is generally regarded as safe as you are not exposed to ionising radiation like some other forms of medical imaging (e.g. X-rays, CT scans). Instead, ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to show images inside the body. Please discuss any concerns with your referring doctor.

All ultrasounds at the Queensland X-Ray Mt Gravatt practice are performed by sonographers who are highly trained and accredited professionals. Our quality team consists of male and female sonographers who are qualified to perform all diagnostic ultrasound imaging including breast imaging.

At Queensland X-Ray Mt Gravatt, we understand that women have unique health concerns. If you would like to ensure a female sonographer performs your ultrasound services then please consider booking at one of our Women’s Imaging Centres.

At Queensland X-Ray, we provide our patients with their images and ultrasound results online. After visiting one of our practices, you will be sent details to set-up your account. If you’ve already registered, you can access the Patient Portal here.

To book an ultrasound online with Queensland X-Ray Mt Gravatt, access our portal here.

The preparation for the different types of MRI scans can vary. Our team will provide any specific instructions about your MRI scan at the time of booking and these should be followed carefully.

You will be asked to change into a gown during the procedure, so we recommend wearing clothes that are easy to remove.

• When you arrive at Queensland X-Ray Mt Gravatt, our reception staff will go through some questions with you to reconfirm your booking details.

• So our team can perform your scan safely and effectively, you are required to complete an MRI safety questionnaire and change into a gown which we will provide. You will also be asked to remove any jewellery, hearing aids, dentures and any other loose items. Your belongings will be safely stored for you during your examination.

• In order to perform your MRI procedure, you will lie down on the MRI bed, which will move the part of the body we are scanning to the middle of the bore (hole). Throughout the procedure, you will be required to keep still.

• Some MRI examinations require us to insert an intravenous (IV) line into your arm. We use this to administer contrast dye that can help to enhance the images we take. When the contrast is injected, you may get a metallic taste in your mouth and this is completely normal. It is important to tell the staff if you have had any form of reaction to contrast before.

• The MRI machine makes a very loud knocking and humming sound when the images are being taken. Both hearing protection and an emergency buzzer are provided for the duration of the MRI examination. You will be offered headphones through which the MRI radiographer can talk to you and play a selection of music to help reduce the noise and pass the time more quickly. The knocking will intermittently stop while the computer processes the images for a few seconds at a time before starting again. No-one else will be in the room during your scan, but you can press the buzzer should you need to communicate with the MRI radiographer or stop the exam at any time.

If you require an MRI scan and suffer from claustrophobia, or are uncomfortable with the restrictive space, you can have your doctor prescribe some sedation for you to complete the scan. In more extreme cases of claustrophobia, we can provide twilight sedation at one of our hospital practices. Just mention this at the time of booking.

Safety is paramount with MRI scanning, so at the time of booking your MRI and also when you arrive at Queensland X-Ray Mt Gravatt for your appointment, you will be asked certain safety questions.

An MRI scanner is essentially a large magnet and certain metal objects like implants are not MRI safe or are MRI conditional. Please let your referring doctor and Queensland X-Ray’s Mt Gravatt staff know if you have any of the following:

• Cardiac pacemaker

• Defibrillator

• Cochlear implant

• Neurostimulator

• Aneurysm clips

• Active implanted biomedical devices

• Infusion pump

• Any implants or devices in your head or body

Please let us know at the time of booking if you are pregnant.

Most MRI scans take approximately 15 minutes to 1 hour to complete depending on the part of the body we scan.

The MRI price is subject to variation based on several factors. We will inform you of the price at the time of booking. If you have any questions about our MRI services, Medicare eligibility, health insurance or any out-of-pocket costs, feel free to contact us, and one of our team members will be happy to assist.

To make an MRI booking online with Queensland X-Ray, access our portal here.