Fluoroscopy uses x-rays with the aid of a contrast agent to capture a moving image of certain organs while they are functioning. The images are viewed in real time on a camera monitor which can take still shots or continuous video pictures of the area under study. Contrast agents may be introduced into the body through injection, swallowing or an enema.

Preparation for your fluoroscopy procedure at Washington Imaging Services (WIS) will depend on the type of exam ordered by your physician. Follow the links below for specific information on your exam.

Barium Enema (Lower Gastrointestinal Series or Lower GI)
Esophagram and Upper Gastrointestinal Series (UGI)
Fertility (Hysterosalpingography or HSG)
Small Intestines (Small Bowel Series)

Fluoroscopy Exam Guidelines
Barium Enema (Lower Gastrointestinal Series or Lower GI)
A barium enema is an x-ray exam that allows a physician to see the movement of the colon and large intestines. This exam requires a 24-hour preparation time to cleanse the colon of stool. During the exam, a tube with a small balloon at its tip will be placed in your rectum. The colon is then filled with barium and sometimes air. The radiologist will place you in various positions while taking a series of x-rays.

Preparation

• Prior to your scheduled appointment, Washington Imaging Services (WIS) will call you to discuss specific instructions, review your health and insurance information and answer any questions.
• For your convenience, print out and complete the appropriate Patient Forms, including Patient Registration and Patient History. Bring them with you to your appointment.
• If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a contrast agent in any prior imaging exam, please notify our staff before your appointment.
• A few days before your exam, stop by our office in Suite 260 of the Overlake Medical Tower and pick up a free LoSo Prep Kit. Follow the instructions on the box.
• Pay close attention to any dietary restrictions prescribed by your physician.
• Leave your valuables at home. All jewelry and any metal objects must be removed prior to the exam.
• Please notify the technologist if you are pregnant or could be pregnant.
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your exam.

What to Expect During the Exam

• Allow 1 hour for your procedure.
• You will be escorted to a changing room to put on an exam gown and then taken to the x-ray room.
• Once the technologist has positioned you on the examination table, a lubricated enema tip is inserted in the rectum and barium, a contrast agent, is introduced into the bowel.
• You will be asked to lie in several different positions on the table while the barium coats and fills the colon.
• Several x-rays will be taken throughout the process.
• If your physician or radiologist feels an air contrast study is necessary, air will be administered with the barium via the enema tube. Additional x-rays will be taken. Before the final x-ray, you will be helped to a bathroom so that you can expel as much barium as possible.

What to Expect After the Exam

• You may leave as soon as the exam is completed and resume normal activities.
• Your normal diet may be resumed, unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
• Drinking plenty of water and other fluids after the exam will help rehydrate the body and clear out any remaining barium. (After the exam, any barium remaining in your system may cause constipation. You may want to have your physician recommend a laxative, if needed.)
• Your imaging study will be interpreted by an OIA board certified radiologist with specialized gastrointestinal training.
• Your referring physician will receive a report detailing the findings of your exam within 24 hours. You should contact your doctor to discuss the results.

Fluoroscopy Exam Guidelines
Esophagram and Upper Gastrointestinal Series (UGI)
Esophagram (barium swallow) and upper GI exams are used to view conditions involving the esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small bowel. These two exams may be done separately or together as a combined study. During the exam, you will swallow liquid barium while the radiologist takes a series of x-rays.

Preparation

• Prior to your scheduled appointment, Washington Imaging Services (WIS) will call you to discuss specific instructions, review your health and insurance information and answer any questions.
• For your convenience, print out and complete the appropriate Patient Forms, including Patient Registration and Patient History. Bring them with you to your appointment. (link to WIS forms page)
• If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a contrast agent in any prior imaging exam, please notify our staff before your appointment.
• For an esophagram conducted independently, no food or liquids 4 hours prior to the exam.
• For an UGI conducted independently or in combination with an esophagram, no food or liquids 8 hours prior to testing.
• Leave your valuables at home. All jewelry and any metal objects must be removed prior to the exam.
• Please notify the technologist if you are pregnant or could be pregnant.
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your exam.

What to Expect During the Exam

• Allow approximately 30 to 45 minutes for your procedure.
• You will be escorted to a changing room to put on an exam gown and then taken to the x-ray room.
• Carbonating tablets followed by barium, a contrast agent, will be given by mouth. The tablets create gas in the stomach and esophagus which opens up the natural folds of these body parts for better visualization. The barium coats the walls of the organs and fills the stomach, allowing the radiologist to film the study.
• The technologist will help you lie or sit in different positions on the table as the necessary films are obtained.

What to Expect After the Exam

• You may leave as soon as the exam is completed and resume normal activities.
• Your normal diet may be resumed, unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
• Drinking plenty of water and other fluids after the exam will help rehydrate the body and clear out any remaining barium.
• Your imaging study will be interpreted by an OIA board certified radiologist with specialized gastrointestinal training.
• Your referring physician will receive a report detailing the findings of your exam within 24 hours. You should contact your doctor to discuss the results.

Fluoroscopy Exam Guidelines
Fertility (Hysterosalpingography or HSG)
This exam is used to visualize and evaluate the uterus and fallopian tubes as part of an infertility workup. The exam should be scheduled to occur 7-10 days after the first day of a normal menstrual period.

Preparation

• Prior to your scheduled appointment, Washington Imaging Services (WIS) will call you to discuss specific instructions, review your health and insurance information and answer any questions.
• For your convenience, print out and complete the appropriate Patient Forms, including Patient Registration and Patient History. Bring them with you to your appointment. (link to WIS forms page)
• If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a contrast agent in any prior imaging exam, please notify our staff before your appointment.
• Leave your valuables at home. All jewelry and any metal objects must be removed prior to the exam.
• Testing should be scheduled between day 7 and day 10 from the start of your menstrual period.
• Please notify the technologist if you are pregnant or could be pregnant.
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your exam.

What to Expect During the Exam

• Allow approximately 20 to 30 minutes for the procedure.
• A female technologist will work with the radiologist to perform this exam which is similar to an annual pelvic exam.
• You will be escorted to a changing room to put on an exam gown and then taken to the x-ray room.
• While you are on the examination table, the radiologist places a speculum into the vaginal cavity to visualize the cervix. The cervix is swabbed with a Betadine preparation and a thin catheter is inserted through the cervical canal into the endometrial cavity.
• A small balloon on the catheter will be inflated to form a seal. The radiologist will watch under fluoroscopy while contrast, a clear water-soluble dye, is injected into the uterus to visualize the uterine cavity and fill the fallopian tubes.
• Discomfort is usually mild, similar to menstrual cramping, but may be more severe if there is a blockage of the tubes.

What to Expect After the Exam

• You may leave as soon as the exam is completed and resume normal activities.
• Mild cramping and light spotting may occur for a day or two.
• Your imaging study will be interpreted by an OIA board certified radiologist.
• Your referring physician will receive a report detailing the findings of your exam within 24 hours. You should contact your doctor to discuss the results.

Fluoroscopy Exam Guidelines
Small Intestines (Small Bowel Series)
The small bowel series examination can be done in combination with the UGI (upper GI) or as an independent study of the small intestine. During the exam, liquid barium is taken orally and a series of x-rays are taken at specific time intervals to show the barium as it progresses from the stomach though the small intestine to the colon.

Preparation

• Prior to your scheduled appointment, Washington Imaging Services (WIS) will call you to discuss specific instructions, review your health and insurance information and answer any questions.
• For your convenience, print out and complete the appropriate Patient Forms, including Patient Registration and Patient History. Bring them with you to your appointment. (link to WIS forms page)
• If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a contrast agent in any prior imaging exam, please notify our staff before your appointment.
• For a small bowel series conducted independently or in combination with an upper GI, no food or liquids 8 hours prior to testing.
• Leave your valuables at home. All jewelry and any metal objects must be removed prior to the exam.
• Please notify the technologist if you are pregnant or could be pregnant.
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your exam.

What to Expect During the Exam

• Allow at least 2 hours for your procedure. Depending on your anatomy and metabolism, the exam may take up to 4 hours.
• You will be escorted to a changing room to put on an exam gown and then taken to the x-ray room.
• For a small bowel series conducted independently, a preliminary film of the abdomen is obtained prior to drinking 2 cups of barium. Once the barium is ingested, a zero minute film is taken followed by additional films every 15 to 20 minutes, or as requested by the radiologist. Digital acquisition continues until the barium reaches the junction of the small and large intestines.
• When combined with the UGI, an additional cup of barium is ingested following initial image acquisition. After a 15 to 20 minute delay, the small bowel series images are obtained. Imaging data is obtained every 15 to 20 minutes, or as requested by the radiologist, until the barium reaches the junction of the small and large intestines.

What to Expect After the Exam

• You may leave as soon as the exam is completed and resume normal activities.
• Your normal diet may be resumed, unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
• Drinking plenty of water and other fluids after the exam will help rehydrate the body and clear out any remaining barium.
• Your imaging study will be interpreted by an OIA board certified radiologist with specialized gastrointestinal training.
• Your referring physician will receive a report detailing the findings of your exam within 24 hours. You should contact your doctor to discuss the results.