I have my first ever CT Scan coming up regarding my liver. What am I in for?

Question

I decided to have a complete physical done about a year ago and found myself diagnosed with Hep 'C'. I haven't had a complete physical done before this for about a decade. Now I have CT Scan appt at a regional hospital coming up, and I have no idea what I'm in for. Is this where they make me drink chalk or inject a dye intravenously? Is it like an abdominal x-ray, or do they make me lie very still while they slide me into some sort of chamber? What are the radiation risks? To be honest....I'm scared !

Answer 1

I've had a CT scan for a kidney problem. The CT itself was no big deal. You lie on a moveable table that slides into a tubular chamber. At times I was asked to take a breath and hold it. I am not prone to claustrophobia, so it was no problem to me to be in the chamber, which is fairly small but not totally enclosed.

The only problem I had came later, when I broke out into a full-body itchy rash. It turned out that I am sensitive to the contrast media that they used, which was an intravenous iodine solution. That was kind of a nuisance, but allergy meds cleared it up, and luckily for me, small doses of iodine are not a continuing problem - important to me, since I love seafood! If I ever need the iodine media again in the future, they will give me benedryl ahead of time to prevent the itchy rash. I don't know what, if any, contrast media is used in a liver scan.

So the whole thing was really not a big deal. The amount of radiation is generally considered to be safe for most of us - be sure you let your doctor know if you are or might be pregnant, though. And with a condition such as Hep C, the information your doctors will get as a result of the CT scan will likely far outweigh any risks due to radiation.

Don't worry - you'll be fine, and your doctors will be better able to tell how to give you the best care for your Hep C.

Answer 2

A CT scan is nothing to wory about. The chalk stuff and dye you are thinkinkiing about is called contrast and it let's the doctors compare the arteries and veins after they pocess the contact. The only reason you would have to do that is if your docto ordered it. When you go in the radiologist will ask you some questions, are you pregnant etc and might have you remove metal objects. Depending on the hospital you could lay on the table and have th machine sit on top of you, work like an MRI and surround you, or this odd thing that moves over you. You might even just have to stand up like a regular picture. I have had several CT, MRI, and MRA's done. The worst part is the IV if they have to do one. I'm 17 and have done this a millon times, I'm sure you will be fine. It is completly noninvasive. An MRI, which has far more radiation, is compared to the same amout as flying across to U.S. four times. Overall the risk is nil. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Different hospitals have different ways of doing this but this the general idea. They will give you some sort of bad tasting stuff to drink generally to start the night before the test. On the day of the test, you will be given one more dose of stuff to drink and an IV will be started in your arm, generally it is started in the bend of your arm. The technologist will ask several questions about medications you are on and if you have any food or drug allergies and ask you if you have any known conditions such as high blood pressure or any cancers. Once this is done you will lie on a long thin table that goes into a donut shaped machine. The technologist will hook your IV up to a machine that will inject contrast (x-ray dye) into your veins. This will not hurt, you might feel a warm sensation all over like you are flushed. The table will move into the donut and move out quickly at first. From there, you will be moved back into the donut and the machine will give you instruction on how to breathe. It will tell you to hold your breath and then to breathe. When it is over, the IV will be removed and you will be allowed to leave. The amount of time you will spend on the table will be about 5 minutes, maybe less depending on the speed of their machine. As for radiation risks, the amount of radiation you will get will be just slightly more than you will get from spending a day out in the sun. Don't be scared, it will go quick.

Good luck!! I hope this helps.

Answer 4

CT does involve exposure to radiation in the form of x-ray, but the benefit of an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the risk. The effective radiation dose from this procedure is about 10 mSv, which is about the same as the average person receives from background radiation in three years.

You will be made to "lie very still while they slide you into some sort of a chamber".

You will not have to drink chalk if they are trying to visualize your liver. If your doctor ordered the exam with contrast they will likely deliver an iodine intravenously in order to visualize blood vessels, etc...

The CT is nothing to be scared of...it is painless.

It is not a good idea to take massive vitamins beforehand....undissolved tablets can linger in the digestive tract and look like something suspicious.

Answer 5

Depending on your doctor's instruction, you will either have one Ct or have one, then have a specific type of dye injected and you'll have a second one.

But undergoing a CT scan is pretty much the same as undergoing a x-ray. It will take a bit longer to get the image, but that's all.

As to a possible radiation risk, load up on Vitamin C or another anti-oxidant for 3 days before hand. The risk with radiation is that is can produce free radicals, and anti-oxidants help to control them.

But the risks of medical radiation for imaging purposes is tiny compared to the risks of not having the imaging done and not being diagnosed.

Answer 6

I have had it done with contrast and without. They just inject some dye into your IV. Not sure if they will do it for a scan of your liver though. Good luck!!

Answer 7

the ct scan ive had in the past they laid me down on a bed and there is a xray machine in a circle around the bed and open on both ends and the circled xray machined moved to my stomach area and then started taking xrays.... Not scary at all!!! actually very relaxing :)
good luck

Answer 8

Just a comment about the answer from "me" above - the 17 year old: MRI does not use any radiation at all. It uses magnets.

Answer 9

You'll be cold and laying on a table that moves you UNDER the scanner...it makes a lot of noise, but thats all...ask for extra blankets if you feel cold. It's painless and you might go to sleep.
(you have to be still and the rooms are kept dark.)
The scanner itself is like a big donut...you are going to go into the hole...thats it..nothing to it..