| Abdominal Ultrasound | Fast for 6 hours prior (nothing to eat, drink or smoke). If you are diabetic or are taking any medications, please check with our staff about any special preparations needed. |
| Pelvic Ultrasound | Full bladder required. You will need to drink 750mls of water and have it finished 1 hour prior to the appointment. This examination may be performed both externally and internally (transvaginal ultrasound). Transvaginal ultrasound is the best way to image pelvic organs but it only performed on patients who are aged 18 years and older, and only with patient consent. It is best done between days 5 and 12 of your menstrual cycle. |
| Obstetric Ultrasound |
Full bladder. You will need to drink 750mls of water and have it finished 1 hour prior to the appointment. |
| Renal/ Bladder/ KUB Ultrasound | Full bladder. you will need to drink 750mls of water and have it finished 1 hour prior to the appointment. No preparation for children up to 6 years of age. Children 6-12 years need to drink 2 large glasses of water and finish these 1 hour prior to examination. |
| Neck/ Thyroid Ultrasound | No preparation required. |
| Breast Ultrasound | No preparation required. |
| Testicular Ultrasound | No preparation required. |
| Vascular/Doppler Ultrasound | Arteries or veins – no preparation. |
| 3/4D Ultrasound | Drink plenty of fluids for 3 days prior to your scan to keep well hydrated. No doctor’s referral is needed. Cost is $200. |
| Musculoskeletal Joints/Muscles | No preparation required. |
| Bone Density (DEXA) | It is helpful to wear slip on shoes and clothing without zips, buttons, belts and buckles. Please cease any calcium supplements 24 hours prior to examination. |
| Ultrasound Guided Steroid Injections | Please check at time of booking |
| Ultrasound Guided Biopsy | Please check at time of booking |
Information about X-Rays and Radiation Dose
X-Rays involve the use of ionising radiation.
Ionising radiation may cause damage to the body’s cells. To ensure any radiation dose and the potential risk it may represent remains very small, both your referring doctor and our technical staff assesses your need for the examination and the diagnostic benefits against the potential risk before referring and conducting the procedure.
While patients may receive a radiation dose from a medical imaging procedure, radiation is found all around us all the time – in the soil, the air, plants, buildings etc. This is called background radiation. While dosage from medical imaging varies too, it still represents only a very small fraction of our lifetime exposure to background radiation.
Extra consideration is made for imaging of women of reproductive age and children. Medical imaging for these groups may still be needed and may indeed be very important, but extra care must be taken to optimise the study and ensure the benefit outweighs any potential risks.
If you know you are or think you may be pregnant, you must advise your referring doctor and the person performing the x-ray examination, who can discuss the risks and benefits associated with the particular procedure.