Abscess/Cyst Drainage

Your physician has referred you to the Diagnostic Services Department at United Hospital Center for an Abscess Drainage.

If you are currently not a patient in the hospital, you will be asked to report to the hospital registration department two (2) hours prior to your scheduled exam. After registration, you will be escorted to a hospital room where you will be prepared for the exam. An intravenous (IV) line may be inserted into a vein in your arm.

After arriving in the Diagnostic Services Department you will be asked to sign a consent form. You will then be placed on a radiographic table on your back. The radiologist will then numb the skin around the abscessed area using a local anesthetic so, at this time, you will feel a little needle stick. After the area is numbed, the radiologist will insert a drainage catheter through the skin into a collection of fluid; this catheter is attached to a bag or suction pump for removal of fluid from the body.

Risks involved with this examination include: infection, bleeding, and/or perforated bowel.

Your physician feels the benefits of this procedure outweigh the risks and would aid in the treatment of your medical condition.

LENGTH: Approximately 1 hour

If you are pregnant, or think you might be, tell your doctor and the technologist BEFORE your exam.