This exam has been proved useful in the evaluation of postoperative patients with suspected complications of biliary tract surgery or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery).

A technologist will explain the entire process to you prior to starting the exam.  He/she will also ask you some health history questions, which will help our radiologist interpret your exam.

You will be asked to lie flat on our scanning bed for about 1 hour.  The imaging cameras will be positioned over your abdomen for the length of the exam.

A technologist will give you an intravenous (IV) injection of a radiopharmaceutical reagent that is picked up by your liver and excreted through your biliary system.  Our cameras will detect the radioactive material and provide a visual image of this path for the radiologist to interpret.

If you have any technical questions specific to this procedure, please don’t hesitate to ask the technologist at scan time.  All clinical questions should be directed to your physician.

A report will be sent to the ordering physician.

You will be in our department a little over an hour.

No complications are expected from this procedure.

Studies of the health effects of radiation have shown that high doses of radiation can cause cancer.  However, this hospital procedure requires that we inject you with a very low level of radioactive material. 

The risk from lower doses of radiation, such as you will receive during this exam, is uncertain.  Most scientists believe that the risk is very small.  Certainly, the benefits received from the exam far outweigh the small risk associated with this procedure