# Nuclear medicine in El Paso Desert Imaging does nuclear medicine in El Paso at its Central center, 7812 Gateway Blvd. East. These scans show how an organ works, not just how it looks: bone, thyroid, kidney, gallbladder, stomach and heart studies, plus I-131 thyroid treatment. ## What it is Nuclear medicine uses a tiny amount of a radioactive tracer, given by injection, capsule or breath, that travels to a particular organ. A gamma camera picks up the energy it gives off and turns it into pictures of how that organ is working. Because it shows function, nuclear medicine often finds a problem early, before it changes the shape of an organ enough to show on other scans. Doctors order it for bone pain and infection, gallbladder and liver problems, kidney function, how fast the stomach empties, thyroid and parathyroid disease, and blood flow to the heart. Some thyroid conditions are treated with nuclear medicine as well. Radioiodine, I-131, is given as a capsule and taken up by the thyroid. **Good to know:** Nuclear medicine needs a doctor's order, and your insurance may need to approve it first. ## Where to get it - [Central](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/nuclear-medicine): 7812 Gateway Blvd. East, Suite 120, El Paso, TX 79915. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Saturday. Closed Sunday. ## What to expect Wear loose clothing. Preparation depends on the scan. Bone, liver and spleen scans need none. Gallbladder, gastric emptying, thyroid uptake and stress tests need an empty stomach, and some need you to hold certain medications. We go over your list when you book. Many scans happen in two visits on the same day, or on two days. For a bone scan you get the injection, leave, and come back in 2 to 3 hours for pictures. For thyroid uptake you swallow a capsule and return at 4 hours and at 24 hours. The camera itself is quiet, does not touch you and gives off no radiation of its own. You lie on a bed while it sits a few inches above you. A board-certified radiologist reads the study. The report goes to your doctor and to your patient portal. **How long it takes:** Depends on the scan, from 30 minutes to a full day in two visits. ## Exams we perform From our physician order form. Your doctor names the exact study on the order. - Bone scan, whole body, limited or 3-phase - Gastric emptying study - Hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan - Liver and spleen scan - Renal scan with Lasix - Parathyroid scan with SPECT - Thyroid uptake and scan - I-131 radioiodine thyroid treatment - MUGA scan with ejection fraction - Nuclear stress test ## How to prepare From our preparation sheet. Your appointment confirmation carries the instructions for your exact study. ### All nuclear medicine exams - Wear loose clothing. ### Bone scan, liver and spleen scan - No preparation required. - Bone scan: you get an injection, then come back 2 to 3 hours later for the pictures. Plan on about 4 hours in all. - Three-phase bone scan: pictures are taken for 10 minutes right after the injection, then again 2 to 3 hours later. - Liver and spleen scan: about 45 minutes. ### Gastric emptying study - Nothing to eat or drink after midnight, not even water. - The sheet says: no Nexium and no insulin. - Bring a meat burrito with you for the exam. - The exam takes about 2 hours. ### Hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan - Nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours before the exam. - On the day of the exam: no caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum. - The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam. - The exam can take up to 2 hours. ### Nuclear medicine stress test - Nothing to eat after midnight. Do not eat for 6 hours before the exam. - Drink water only. No caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum. - The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam, but bring it with you to take afterward. - Wear comfortable clothes for exercise: walking or tennis shoes, sweatpants and a shirt. - Plan on 4 to 5 hours. ### Parathyroid scan - No calcium supplements on the day of the exam. - You get an injection, then pictures are taken at 10 minutes and again at 3 hours. ### Renal scan - Drink plenty of water in the morning before the exam. - The exam takes about 30 minutes. ### Renal scan with Lasix - The sheet says: no diuretics or water pills, meaning medication that increases the amount of water the body passes. ### Thyroid uptake and scan - You take a capsule, then come back 4 hours and 24 hours later for the scan. - The sheet says: be off thyroid medication for 4 to 6 weeks before the study. - No iodinated contrast for at least two weeks before the exam. - Nothing to eat for 6 hours before the exam. - On the day of the exam: no caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum. - The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam. ## Common questions ### Is the tracer safe? The amount is very small, a few drops, and the tracer is chosen to be safe and approved by the FDA. Reactions are rare. Tell us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. ### Why do I have to come back for pictures? The tracer needs time to collect in the organ being studied. For a bone scan that is 2 to 3 hours, for a thyroid uptake it is 4 hours and again at 24 hours. The wait is part of the exam. ### How long does a nuclear medicine scan take? It depends on the scan, counting the wait for the tracer. A renal scan takes about 30 minutes and a liver and spleen scan about 45 minutes. A HIDA scan takes up to 2 hours and a gastric emptying study about 2 hours. A bone scan takes about 4 hours from injection to the last picture, and a nuclear stress test 4 to 5 hours. A parathyroid scan takes pictures at 10 minutes and at 3 hours, and a thyroid uptake at 4 hours and 24 hours. ### What do I bring for a gastric emptying study? A meat burrito. The tracer goes in the food and the camera follows it through your stomach. Nothing else to eat or drink after midnight, and no Nexium or insulin that morning. ### Do I stop my thyroid medication? For a thyroid uptake and scan, yes, for 4 to 6 weeks before, and no iodinated contrast for at least 2 weeks before. Nothing to eat for 6 hours. Do not stop any medication without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. ## Ready to book? Request an appointment online and bring your doctor's order. We take it from there. - [Request an appointment](https://eforms.abbadox.com/240384671438865) - Call (915) 577-0100