TPCA CT (Computed Tomography) Scan

A CT scan uses x-ray technology to take detailed pictures of internal organs and structures of the body for the purpose of analysis. Our CT scanner is among the latest in high speed scanners with an unmatched technology platform, offering faster and clearer images. Exams that took 30 to 45 minutes to complete in the past now can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

If you have had any x-rays or scans elsewhere that may pertain to the scan you are about to have, please bring them or have them sent over prior to your exam. Please make sure you bring your doctor’s order for the scan and your insurance card with you.

Healthcare providers scheduling should advise if the patient has any disabilities, allergies or diabetes. Appointments may also be confirmed by TPCA CT personnel to ensure that the most appropriate procedure has been ordered.

Some CT scans require prep on part of the patient prior to an exam.

Please take a moment to review our video for a summary of what to expect upon being scheduled for at CT. Our scheduling department will also equip patients with prep instructions at the time of scheduling the appointment.

 

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm

Would you like to save time filling out forms in the office? Fill out your CT history form in advance! Simply print it out, complete it and bring it to your next visit! Click here to access the form.

List of CT Tests that can be ordered

CT Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast (Oral and IV)

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications.

You will need to drink two bottles of oral contrast, starting one hour prior to the exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Abdomen and Pelvis without IV Contrast (Urogram)

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat on the day of the exam. Drink 16 oz. of water 30 to 45 minutes prior to your exam so you are well hydrated and your bladder is full.

What to Expect

If you wear clothing that does not have buttons or snaps, you will not have to get undressed into a hospital gown. An Abdomen and Pelvis CT without contrast (Urogram) is a very simple procedure. You are placed on the scan table and moved through the scanner as the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

10 to 15 minutes

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Abdomen with IV contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications. You will need to drink two bottles of oral contrast, starting one hour prior to the exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Abdomen without IV contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications. You will need to drink two bottles of oral contrast, starting one hour prior to the exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

15 to 20 minutes

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Appendix (Performed for suspected Appendicitis)

Preparing for Your Scan

If possible, nothing to eat or drink four hours before your scheduled exam .

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. The last thing that will be done before starting your exam is an enema with another contrast material. This will highlight the lower part of your large intestine. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 2-3 hours for results.

CT Carotid Angiography with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink four hours before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Chest with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink four hours prior to scheduled exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a hospital gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm. This will be used to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. Once everything is set up, you will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Chest without IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure, even more so than a chest x-ray.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Coronary Calcium Score

Coronary Calcium Score CT provides images of possible plaque inside the arteries of your heart which can grow and restrict blood flow to the muscles of your heart. Measuring this plaque may give your physician an indication of possible coronary artery disease.

Preparing for Your Scan

Please refrain from caffeine (soda, coffee and chocolate) tobacco products and exercise on the day of the scheduled exam. Make sure you do not use lotions or powders on the chest area, so EKG electrodes will stick properly.

What to Expect

This is one of the simpler CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. We will place EKG electrodes to your chest area during the exam.  The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 minutes

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

https://www.tallahasseeprimarycare.com/clinical-services/tpca-radiology/ct-computed-tomography-scan/

CT Enterography

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink 8 hours prior to exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications only.

You will need to drink three, 16 oz. bottles of oral contrast, which are timed in 15 minute intervals. The timing of the oral contrast is important and plays a vital part of producing a quality exam. The CT technologist will provide you with a cup of water to drink just prior to starting the scan.

What to Expect

The CT Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject contrast material before drinking the oral contrast. Because the timing of the oral contrast is crucial, you will have a personal Radiologic Technologist help you during the drinking phase. Each bottle of oral contrast needs to be completed in 15 minutes.

You will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room after the oral contrast phase.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 40 to 60 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Facial Bones

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure.

What to Expect

You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Head/Brain with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink four hours prior to scheduled examination.

What to Expect

Before your scan, the Technologist will start an IV in your arm. This will be used to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your head during the scan. Once everything is set up, you will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Head/Brain without IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 minutes

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Hematuriagram (For painless Hematuria)

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat on the day of the exam. Drink 16 oz. of water 30 to 45 minutes prior to your exam so you are well hydrated and your bladder is full.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Liver Angiography with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled examination. You may drink a small amount of water with medications.

What to Expect

Before your scan you will be dressed in a gown and taken in the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels. You will pass through the scanner several times as images are obtained of your Liver in different phases of function. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Neck with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink four hours prior to scheduled examination.

What to Expect

Before your scan, the Technologist will start an IV in your arm. This will be used to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your neck during the scan. Once everything is set up, you will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 15 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Orbits

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Pelvis with IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications. You will need to drink two bottles of oral contrast, starting one hour prior to the exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan. The last thing that will be done before starting your exam is an enema with another contrast material. This will highlight the lower part of your large intestine where the oral contrast has not reached. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Pelvis without IV Contrast

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled exam. You may drink a small amount of water with medications. You will need to drink two bottles of oral contrast, starting one hour prior to the exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The last thing that will be done before starting your exam is an enema with another contrast material. This will highlight the lower part of your large intestine. Once all this is set up, you are placed into the scanner and the images are obtained. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Increase your normal fluid intake 24 hours after your exam. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Pulmonary Embolism

Preparing for Your Scan

If possible, nothing to eat or drink four hours before your scheduled exam.

What to Expect

Before your scan, you will be dressed in a gown and taken to the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels throughout your body during the scan.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20-30 minutes.

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 2-3 hours for results.

CT Renal (Kidneys)

Preparing for Your Scan

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your scheduled examination. You may drink a small amount of water with medications.

What to Expect

Before your scan you will be dressed in a gown and taken in the scanner room. The Technologist will start an IV in your arm to inject the contrast material that will highlight the blood vessels and collecting system of your kidneys during the scan. You will pass through the scanner several times as images are obtained of your kidneys in different phases of function. The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

After Care Instructions

If you are experiencing any trouble breathing, chest pain or feeling sick, please seek care immediately. Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Sinuses

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

CT Spine

Preparing for Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table, and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 15 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

LDCT Lung Screening

At TPCA, our primary care is you and we are dedicated to providing you with the necessary tools to live smoke-free. As a kick-start to your “quit” journey, click the link below to access the American Heart Association’s “Quit Smoking” guide.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/QuitSmoking/Quit-Smoking_UCM_001085_SubHomePage.jsp

Did you know?

The National Lung Screening Trial found a 20% decrease in lung cancer mortality rate in individuals who participated in CT lung screenings?

If you are a smoker/former smoker between the ages of 55 and 80 and smoke(d) one pack per day for the past 20 years, you may meet the requirements as a high risk candidate for LDCT lung screening. Contact your primary care physician for more information regarding LDCT lung screenings.

Is an LDCT Lung Screening right for you? Click here to learn more.

Preparing For Your Scan

There is no prep for this exam. It is a very simple procedure, even more so than a chest x-ray. The LDCT Lung Screening is a low dose exam with radiation dosage approximately half of the naturally occurring background radiation a person receives living one year at sea level.

Most insurance companies reimburse for this procedure. Please contact your insurance carrier to confirm coverage.

What to Expect

This is one of the more simple CT exams. You will be placed on your back on the scan table and the table will extend you into the scanner where the images will be obtained. The actual scan only takes about 5 minutes.

Total Exam Time

Approximately 15 minutes.

After Care Instructions

Follow up with your referring physician within 3-5 business days for routine exam results.

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