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What to Expect During Your Digital X-Ray

Taking a digital x-ray is much like taking a traditional x-ray, and if you’ve ever broken a bone, you’re likely familiar with the process. A technologist will help you onto an exam table or chair, depending upon the positions required for the image. A plastic plate called a film cassette will be placed directly under or behind the area of the body to be imaged, and you’ll be asked to hold still for a few minutes while the x-ray is being taken. This process will be repeated for additional views, and the whole procedure will likely take 15 minutes or less.

What to expect during your CT Scan

Also known as a computed tomography scan or CAT scan—is a quick, precise imaging exam that uses specialized X-rays to create cross-sectional pictures, or slices, of structures inside the body, including bones, muscles, organs, blood vessels, blood clots and tumors. Once the exam is complete, a radiologist can examine the slices one by one or combine them to create a single, 3D image. CT images are much more detailed than regular X-ray images, and physicians use them to diagnose injuries and conditions, determine cancer stages, plan procedures and gauge the success of treatments.

A CT scan and an MRI scan share some similarities, but they differ in several key ways. CT scans are usually faster, and the way the two machines generate images differ in ways that make one more suitable for diagnosing certain conditions than the other.

Ultrasound

One of the safest, most tried-and-true imaging technologies, ultrasound uses sound waves to create images called sonograms. Ultrasound is widely used for observing fetal development in pregnant women, but it may also be used to detect problems in the liver, kidneys, and other abdominal organs.

Because ultrasound doesn’t rely on radiation, it’s perfectly safe for both you and your baby. It’s also pain-free and noninvasive, and it doesn’t require the use of contrast dyes or other solutions or injections.

What to Expect During Your Ultrasound Exam

Quick, convenient and easy, ultrasound exams typically last 20 to 40 minutes. Your technologist will conduct the exam with a transducer, a small handheld device that looks like a wand. They’ll apply the transducer to the body part being examined, along with a gel that helps sound waves pass through your skin. Depending upon the nature of your exam, you may be able to see the images during your exam, on a screen connected to the ultrasound device.

Arthrogram

An arthrogram is a series of pictures that offers physicians a more detailed view than a single image. Typically used to examine shoulders, knees, and other complex joints, arthrograms may be created from multiple X-rays, MRI images, or CT images. Ultimately, this series of images helps doctors to find defects not only in bones, but in other joint structures such as tendons, ligaments, muscles and cartilage.

What to Expect During Your Arthrogram Exam

Most arthrograms require the use of an injectable contrast fluid, which helps to highlight a variety of joint structures. Injections may cause a slight burning sensation, but your technologist will use local anesthesia and a thin needle to minimize pain and soreness.

Once the dye is injected, you’ll be taken to an x-ray, MRI or CT machine for imaging, and the procedure should take one hour at most. Each of these imaging methods is safe, noninvasive and pain-free.

Myelogram

A myelogram is a specific application of fluoroscopy, an X-ray technique that displays continuous images as a sort of “movie.” During a myelogram, a tiny amount of contrast dye is injected into the space surrounding the spinal cord. By observing the movement of that dye, doctors can spot abnormalities in discs, nerves and other parts of the spine and nervous system – details they might not be able to see with traditional X-rays.

What to Expect During Your Myelogram

Like other x-ray imaging techniques, myelograms are safe, painless and minimally invasive. While they do require the injection of a contrast dye, your technologist will use local anesthesia and a tiny needle to eliminate pain and reduce soreness.

You’ll lie on your stomach on a cushioned table during the injection and exam, which typically lasts for a total of 30 to 60 minutes. Throughout the exam, your table will tilt slightly at various angles to allow the radiologist to view the areas where you’re experiencing the most pain or discomfort. Your technologist will also stay by your side during the entire exam, ready to answer questions and alleviate concerns.