To help your physician assess if your gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a result of a Meckel’s diverticulum (common congenital anomaly of the GI tract).

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 imaging bed while a technologist places an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. Our imaging cameras will be positioned close over your abdomen area.  You will be given 2 injections through the IV. 

The first will be a medication, which helps improve the detection of Meckel’s diverticulum, the second will be our radioactive materials.  Immediately following the injection of our radioactive materials, images are obtained for about 30 minutes. 

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 your ordering physician.

You will be in our department about 45 minutes.

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