Imaging Services

Your Imaging team will give you specific instructions for your exam, based on the type of procedure ordered.

CT scanning will be done at our Imaging Center at 920 Country Club Road, Suite 100A. You will lie down on a moving table, which will slide you into the tunnel-like scanning machine. The scanner can move around you to change the angles of the X-rays. Inside the scanner, multiple X-ray beams are passed very quickly through your body at different angles. The images are projected onto a TV screen and prepared for your healthcare provider to examine. A solution of dye (also called contrast media) may be injected into a vein, or you may be asked to swallow the solution. This allows the scanner to show specific areas as the dye passes through your body. Scans may last 3 to 20 minutes. They are painless, but you may get uncomfortable from lying in the scanner if the scan takes more than a few minutes. You can talk to the technologist at any time during the procedure.

If you were given dye for the scan, drinking a lot of fluids after the procedure may help your body get rid of the dye. Rarely some people have an allergic reaction to the dye. Most reactions happen right away, but you could have a delayed reaction. After a CT scan that uses dye, watch for signs of a reaction. These signs include itching, rash, or sweating. If you start having these symptoms, call your healthcare provider right away. If your throat gets swollen or you have trouble breathing, call 911 for emergency medical care.

In this procedure, your body is exposed to a very small amount of radiation. Exposure to radiation can be dangerous if you are exposed to it often or in large amounts. Oregon Medical Group is committed to radiation safety and uses standard dose reduction techniques to limit the amount of radiation you receive during your test. If you are pregnant, you should not have a CT scan without first discussing the possible risks with your healthcare provider. There is a small risk that you will have an allergic reaction to the dye. For example, there is a chance you will be allergic to the dye if you have a shellfish allergy. Even if you are not allergic to the dye, the dye may cause warm feelings, a flushed face, headache, or a salty taste in the mouth. Rarely, it can cause nausea and vomiting. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you know you are allergic to any medicines or chemicals such as iodine.

Injuries show up well on an MRI. For example, an MRI may show whether you have torn ligaments or torn cartilage in your knee and help your healthcare provider decide whether or not you need surgery. It is also useful for injuries involving the shoulder, back, or neck. Healthcare providers use MRIs to see problems in the brain and spinal cord and to see the size and location of tumors.

Your Imaging team will give you specific instructions for your exam, based on the type of procedure ordered. Do not wear jewelry. If you have any metal in your body (such as plates or screws from a previous surgery) tell your healthcare provider. If you have a pacemaker you will not be able to have an MRI. If you have any metal fragments in or around your eyes you cannot have an MRI because the test may injure your eyes. If you have anxiety or claustrophobia (difficulty with small or crowded spaces), let your provider know.

You lie down on a cushioned bed that moves into a magnet that is open on both ends. If you get nervous when you are in small closed spaces you should talk to your healthcare provider about this before you have your MRI to either schedule in our Open MRI or receive medication to relax. He or she may be able to give you a medicine that will help you feel less nervous or may insist that you are scanned in our open MRI scanner. You will have to be very still during the procedure so the pictures will not be blurry. Sometimes you are given a shot of a fluid called gadolinium before getting an MRI. This causes any abnormal areas to become very bright on the MRI. This makes them easier to see. Most MRIs take between 25 and 40 minutes. You will hear loud knocking and a whirring sound while the pictures are being taken. You will wear earplugs or music will be provided so that the noise doesn't sound so loud. You will be able to speak with the person doing the test through a sound system so you can let him or her know if you are having any problems. When the test is over you may go home. Your healthcare provider will schedule a visit with you to discuss the results.

An MRI is painless. There is no radiation. If you were given a shot of gadolinium, there is a chance you will have an allergic reaction, but this is very rare. Although there is no evidence that an MRI will hurt a baby during the first trimester of pregnancy, the National Radiological Protection Board recommends not using it at this time of pregnancy. MRI may be used safely later in pregnancy.

The sonographer applies an odorless, colorless gel to the skin above the body structure(s) to be studied. This gel helps conduct sound waves from the ultrasound transducer down to the tissues that are the focus of the study. The sonographer applies the transducer to the skin and short pulses of ultrasound waves are emitted and received. As the transducer is moved around, an image of the various organs under study appears on a monitor. The sonographer then electronically stores what he or she considers to be the most diagnostically useful images. Selected images are used by an interpreting physician to make a final diagnosis. Sonographers may also have managerial or supervisory responsibilities.

The test is performed in the Imaging Center or in the provider's office by a registered x-ray technologist. The positioning of the patient, x-ray machine, and film depends on the type of study and area of interest. Multiple individual views may be requested.Much like conventional photography, motion causes blurry images on radiographs, and thus, patients may be asked to hold their breath or not move during the brief exposure (about 1 second).

Inform the health care provider prior to the exam if you are pregnant, may be pregnant, or have an IUD inserted.You will remove all jewelry and wear a hospital gown during the x-ray examination because metal and certain clothing can obscure the images and require repeat studies.

There is no discomfort from x-ray exposure. Patients may be asked to stay still in awkward positions for a short period of time.

For most conventional x-rays, the risk of cancer or defects due to damaged ovarian cells or sperm cells is very low. Most experts feel that this low risk is largely outweighed by the benefits of information gained from appropriate imaging. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image.Young children and fetuses are more sensitive to the risks of x-rays. Women should tell health care providers if they think they are pregnant.