Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg is proud to provide a range of CT services, including Traditional CT Scans as well as Advanced CT Scans.
With same-day and next-day appointments, you can get your imaging service when it fits your busy schedule.
What is a CT Scan?
A computerized tomography (CT) scan uses radiation to take x-ray images from lots of different angles to create cross-sectional images of the body. A CT scan can get very accurate images of bone, soft tissues, and blood vessels. CT images are more accurate than traditional x-ray images. Because a CT scan utilizes radiation, it is not suitable for some patients, such as young children or pregnant women.
We provide traditional CT scans for the sinus, face, orbits and temporal bone; the neck; the chest — high-resolution or routine; the abdomen/pelvis; the extremity/musculoskeletal; and the spine. We also provide calcium scoring with the CT Heart Scan. We provide advanced CT services, including 64- and 40-slice systems, for CT urography, CT colonography, and CT angiography (chest, head, neck, abdomen/pelvis, extremities/runoff, and brain).
What Can I Expect?
A CT scan is very quick, usually only a few minutes, and painless. CT scanners are shaped like a donut on its side and are not closed-in like an MRI. Patients lie down on a table and are moved into the machine by a technologist. The tech will be able to hear and see you the whole time, and you will be able to talk with them at any time. You may be asked to hold your breath for very brief periods during the exam. After the scan, you can resume normal activities, though you may be instructed to drink lots of water to help flush the contrast medium from the body.
How Can I Prepare?
Remove any metal or jewelry from your body
You will likely be asked to wear a hospital gown during the scan
You may need to ingest or be injected with a contrast medium to get a more accurate reading. For more information on potential allergies, visit our Patient Resources page.
