Computed Tomography (CT)
CT scans are X-rays that are processed by computers to produce visual cross-sections of specific areas of the body. Since the technology was introduced in the 1970s, CT has become an important tool in medical imaging to supplement “regular” X-rays and ultrasonography. CT is also used for preventive medicine or screening for disease. A CT scan usually lasts 10 to 30 minutes, although tests with contrast may last longer.
How long will the examination take?
A single CT scan can last 10 to 30 minutes. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for multiple CT scans or for CT scans that require contrast, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
Traditional CTs require very little preparation. If possible, do not wear any jewelry, clothing or accessories with metal (including body piercings). CT scans with contrast may require various preparations. Please contact us for specific instructions.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the CT examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. If contrast material is used, it will be swallowed or injected intravenously, depending on the type of examination.
During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the CT scanner, which is not enclosed. Next, the table will move through the scanner to determine the correct starting position for the scans. The table will move slowly through the machine as the CT scan is performed. You may be asked to hold your breath during the scan.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or contact us at 307-634-7711.
Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA)
Very similar to CT, CTA is a technique that is used to visualize circulatory vessels such as arteries and veins. Beams of X-rays are passed from a rotating device through a specific area of the body to obtain images, which then are assembled by a computer into a three-dimensional picture. CTA is often used to evaluate coronary artery disease and to assess a patient’s risk of heart attack. CTA will always use intravenous contrast.
How long will the examination take?
Individual CTA exams typically take 10 to 20 minutes. Please contact us if you are scheduled for multiple exams or for scans that require contrast, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
CTA scan preparations vary and need to be followed precisely. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 for specific instructions. If possible, do not wear any jewelry, clothing or accessories with metal (including body piercings).
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.
During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the CTA scanner, which is not enclosed. Next, the table will move through the scanner to determine the correct starting position for the scans. The table will move slowly through the machine as the CTA scan is performed. You may be asked to hold your breath during the scan.
If your coronary arteries or aorta are being examined, electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors will be placed on your arms, legs, and chest. These will record your heart rate and rhythm during scanning. Your heart rate may be slowed with beta blocker drugs prior to scanning. If heart rate medication is given, you will be monitored during and after the procedure. Following scanning, you should have no side effects from the beta blocker medication.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA)
DEXA scans are used primarily to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). This makes it an excellent choice in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.
How long will the examination take?
A DEXA scan typically takes 10 to 30 minutes.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. You will be asked to lie down on a padded table.
During the exam, an imaging device, located above and below the examination table, will be slowly passed over and under the area being examined, generating images on a computer monitor.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy uses X-rays and a medical instrument called a fluoroscope to show, digitize and record real-time moving images of the inside of a patient’s body. Common procedures using fluoroscopy include investigations of blood vessels, organs and the gastrointestinal tract, orthopedic surgery, placements of catheters, pacemakers and feeding tubes, urologic surgery and studies involving barium liquids.
How long will the examination take?
Traditional bone X-ray examinations take five to 15 minutes. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for fluoroscopy exams or for multiple scans, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
A traditional bone X-ray does not require any preparation. For fluoroscopy exams, preparations vary. Please contact us for specific instructions.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.
During the exam, you may be asked to lie down on an examination table. However, some procedures allow for sitting or standing.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
MRI uses a technology called nuclear magnetic resonance to visualize internal structures of the body in detail. The patient lies in an MRI scanner, which can create two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of any part of the body and at any angle. MRIs provide good visual contrast between the different soft tissues of the body, which makes them especially useful with many procedures involving the brain, muscles, heart and cancers.
MRA is a type of technique that uses magnetic resonance imaging (see MRI) to image blood vessels throughout the head and body. MRA is most often used to generate detailed images of arteries in order to evaluate them for abnormal narrowing, blockage or aneurysms (bulges that may rupture).
How long will the examination take?
A single MRI or MRA scan can last 25 to 45 minutes or longer. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for multiple examinations or scans that require sedation or contrast, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
A traditional MRI or MRA scan requires very little preparation: If possible, do not wear any jewelry, clothing or accessories with metal (including body piercings). For MRI or MRA scans with sedation or contrast, please contact us for specific instructions.
Advise your referring provider prior to scheduling an MRI or MRA scan if you are or may be pregnant, if you have a pacemaker or cochlear ear implants, or if you have had any kind of brain surgery.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. If you have ever done any welding or grinding with metals, for your safety, a no-charge X-ray will be completed prior to your MRI or MRA scan to ensure that your eyes are free of metal debris.
During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the MRI or MRA scanner, which is not enclosed. You will be asked to be still during the scan. You can expect to hear knocking and buzzing sounds during the scan. If contrast material is used, it will be injected through an intravenous line.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Mammography
Mammography uses low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast. It is most commonly used in screening for breast cancer.
How long will the examination take?
A mammography exam, also known as a mammogram, takes approximately 30 minutes. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for multiple examinations, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
Do not wear deodorant, talcum powder or lotion under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam. If possible, obtain any prior mammograms from other facilities. Please note that mammograms must be ordered by a referring provider.
Patients should be prepared to provide a detailed family history prior to the exam.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, describe any breast-related symptoms or problems to the technologist who is performing the exam.
During the exam, a technologist will position your breast in the mammography unit. Your breast will be placed on a special platform and compressed with a paddle (often made of clear plastic). The technologist will gradually compress your breast. You will be asked to change positions between images. Typically, two to four images are taken per breast.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine is a safe and painless way to image the body and treat disease. Using very small amounts of radioactive materials, a physician gathers precise and highly targeted medical information that can identify abnormalities very early in the progress of a disease. Nuclear medicine imaging is used with many medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology to psychiatry. The amount of radiation in a typical nuclear imaging procedure is comparable with that received during a diagnostic X-ray.
How long will the examination take?
Depending on the type of exam, nuclear medicine procedures can take from 20 minutes to several hours and may be conducted over a 24-hour period. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 for more information about your specific scans.
How will I prepare for the examination?
Nuclear medicine uses radiotracers as a way to trace specific bodily systems or reactions. It can take anywhere from several seconds to several days for the radiotracer to travel through your body and accumulate in the organ or area being studied. As a result, imaging may be done immediately, a few hours later, or even several days after you have received the radioactive material. Please contact us for more information about your specific scans.
Prior to the examination, please advise your provider and technologist if you:
- are pregnant or if you might be pregnant
- are taking any medications, vitamins or herbal supplements
- have any allergies
- have had any recent illnesses
- have any other medical conditions
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. You may be asked to lie down on an examination table or to sit or stand. If necessary, a dose of radiotracer will be injected, swallowed or inhaled as a gas. Once a sufficient amount of the radiotracer accumulates in the organ or area of your body to be examined, it gives off gamma rays, which can be detected by devices called gamma cameras and gamma probes.
During the exam, the gamma camera or probe will take a series of images. The camera may rotate around you as you remain still, or the camera may stay in one position and you will be asked to change position between images. While the camera is taking pictures, you will need to remain still for brief periods of time. In some cases, the camera may move very close to your body.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT
PET/CT is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a 3-D image of functional processes in the body. It is often used to map brain and heart functioning, along with cancer diagnosis and treatment. At Cheyenne Radiology Group, PET/CT scans are performed on instruments that are combined PET and CT scanners. The combined PET/CT scans provide images that pinpoint the location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. The combined scans have been shown to provide more accurate diagnoses than when the two scans are performed separately.
How long will the examination take?
PET/CT scans use radiotracers as a way to trace specific bodily systems or reactions. It usually takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes for the radiotracer to travel through the body and to be absorbed by the organ or tissue being studied. Scanning then takes an additional 30 to 60 minutes, for a total exam time of about two hours. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for multiple examinations or scans, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
Please contact us for specific instructions.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. After you are positioned on an examination table, a nurse or technologist will inject a radiotracer dose into your hand or arm. You will be asked to be still and rest quietly while the radiotracer moves through the body and is absorbed by the organ or tissue being studied.
During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the PET/CT scanner, which is not enclosed. The table will move slowly through the machine as the PET/CT scan is performed. You will be asked to lie very still while the camera is taking pictures.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses radio waves to create visual images called sonograms. While best known for its use during pregnancy, ultrasound is often used to view muscles, tendons, and many internal organs.
How long will the examination take?
A traditional ultrasound scan usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for multiple examinations or scans, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
Ultrasound examination preparations vary. Please contact us for specific instructions.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.
Most ultrasound scans require the patient to lie face-up on an examination table. A clear water-based gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help a device called a transducer make secure contact with the body. An ultrasound technologist or radiologist will press the transducer firmly against the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area to be examined. Images are sent to a computer monitor, where they can be evaluated immediately.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
X-ray (Radiography)
Medical radiography is the use of X-rays to help identify disease or injury inside the human body. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation that can pass through some solids and liquids.
How long will the examination take?
Traditional bone X-ray examinations take five to 15 minutes. Please contact us at 307-634-7711 if you are scheduled for fluoroscopy exams or for multiple scans, as they will vary in length of time.
How will I prepare for the examination?
A traditional bone X-ray does not require any preparation. For fluoroscopy exams, preparations vary. Please contact us for specific instructions.
Please advise your provider and technologist prior to an examination if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
What should I expect during the examination?
Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.
During the exam, you may be asked to lie down on an examination table. However, some procedures allow for sitting or standing.
How do I get my results?
In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting us at 307-634-7711.
