FLUOROSCOPY

Yes, appointments are necessary for this category of examination. Appointments can be made by calling the clinic where you intend to go for the examination.

Please bring along the letter or request form from a physician requesting for the particular examination.

Also, for easy identification, bring along your identity card or passport. This will also assist to expedite the registration process.

For follow-up cases, it is necessary to have previous x-ray films in order for the radiologist to compare and report on the progress of the condition.

The preparation of each individual examination in this category is different. Please refer to your specific examination preparation.

At the clinic, you may be asked to change into an x-ray gown and to remove jewellery or ornaments which may obsure the region that is being x-rayed.

Female patients will be asked to certify that they are not pregnant. If there is any possibility of pregnancy, this should be brought to the attention of the physician or radiographer or nurse attending to you.

Patient will be asked to stand on a platform that is attached to the x-ray examination table. The patient will be asked to swallow a paste material consisting of barium sulphate and some flavouring. While the patient is swallowing, this action is observed by the radiologist through a television system. A series of images will be captured and the patient will be asked to stop breathing before each exposure. The patient may be positioned in various postures to enable the radiologist a good view of his/her oesophagus. This may include patient being erect or supine on the examination table, which can be tilted from 90 degrees erect position to a 0 degree flat position.

Patient will be given a small intramuscular relaxant injection just prior to the start of the examination. Patient stands on a platform that is attached to the x-ray examination table. The patient will be given a cup of flavoured barium suphate solution to drink together with some efferverscent granules. While the patient is swallowing, this action is observed by the radiologist through a television system. A series of images will be captured and the patient will be asked to stop breathing before each exposure. The patient maybe positioned in various postures to enable the radiologist a good view of his/her oesophagus, stomach and part of the small intestines. This may include patient being erect or supine on the examination table, which can be tilted from 90 degrees erect position to a 0 degree flat position.

If a follow through is required, the patient will be asked to wait for an hour or two to allow the barium to flow through the small bowel and into the large before another x-ray exposure is done.

Patient will be positioned on the x-ray table. A small intramuscular relaxant injection just prior to the start of the examination will be administered. A rectal tube is inserted into the rectum. A mixture of barium, air is passed into the patient's colon. This will enable the coating of the lining of the colon to be visualised and any abnormalities identified. While the barium runs through the patient, this action is observed by the radiologist through a television system. A series of images will be captured and the patient will be asked to stop breathing before each exposure. The patient maybe positioned in various postures to enable the radiologist a good view of his/her large intestines. This may include patient being semi-erect or supine on the examination table, which can be tilted from 90 degrees erect position to a 0 degree flat position. Once the relevant images are taken, the tube is removed and the patient goes to the washroom to expel the barium and air.

The x-ray examination is not painful although it could be uncomfortable. But as in photograph taking, any movement during exposure will render the image unclear. For this purpose, patient may be asked to stop breathing and moving for the duration of the exposure which is a few seconds.

The examination will take about 20 to 30 minutes. But if a follow through is required, patient has to wait for the barium sulphate solution to go through the stomach and into the small and large intestines. This process may take 2 to 4 hours. If this is the case, the patient will be informed and may leave the clinic to return later for follow-up images.

After the procedure, patient will be asked to wait while the x-ray is being processed and checked to be in order.

Patients are advised to provide at least an hour or more in the last of follow through for the entire procedure.

Barium suphate causes constipation, as a precaution, patient needs to drink several glasses of water during the day after the examination. The faeces will be white in colour.

After the x-ray has been processed, the radiologist will report on his/her findings. For urgent requests, the results will be ready for collection in an hour's time after the completion of the examination, at the clinic. For routine cases, the results will be despatched to the referring physician's clinic. Please let us know when your next visit to the doctor is. We will ensure that it is despatched before your next appointment.