Bone Scan with SPECT
Purpose: This procedure visualizes activity of the bone structures (skeleton).
Length of Test: 45 minutes.
Patient Prep: No prep is necessary.
Procedure: There are two types of procedures:
Standard Bone Scan: The patient is injected in the arm with a small amount of radioactive material which is tagged to the specific area of interest. The patient will be released to return in 3 hours.
3 hours later, the patient must return for test completion. The patient will lie on his/her back on a flat table for the test. The technologist will position the specialized camera* 1-2 inches above the body. Several pictures of the body will be taken (ie, skull, chest, pelvis, knees, etc.). The pictures will be evaluated by a radiologist and a report will be sent to the referring physician.
3 Phase Bone Scan: This procedure is the same as the standard bone scan except that pictures are taken immediately after injection, again after a few minutes have elapsed, and again in approximately 3 hours.
* Specialized camera: Large disk shaped camera which detects activity in the body part being examined and records that activity as a picture.
