Myelogram / Computed Tomography

Your physician has referred you to the Diagnostic Services Department at United Hospital Center for a Myelogram.

Myelography is a relatively safe x-ray procedure. This procedure is done under local anesthesia and provides important information about your spinal cord and the space surrounding it. Your doctor has ordered this test to help make an accurate diagnosis of your medical condition.

You will be asked to report to the hospital registration department 1 1/2 hours before your scheduled exam time. 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 the radiographic table on your stomach.

A radiologist (medical doctor who specializes in the use of x-rays for diagnosis of medical conditions) will inject contrast medium through a needle into your spinal canal after a local anesthetic is administered. This outlines parts of the body that do not usually show up on an x-ray. The exam will then be recorded on x-ray film.

The contrast medium is absorbed by your body and eliminated naturally through your kidneys.

Some of the risks involved are infection, reaction to the contrast medium, headache, and nausea.

Your physician may order a CT scan to follow your Myelogram. If so, after the Myelogram is complete, you will go to the CT Department which is also located in the Diagnostic Services Department.

After the procedure, you will be returned to your hospital room and asked to sit still for approximately four to six hours. The head of your hospital bed may be tilted to an angle of 35-45 degrees so you can lie in a sitting or semi-erect position. You will be allowed to eat normal meals after your exam and you are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids. Fluids will help eliminate the contrast medium from your body and help prevent headaches. You will be able to get out of bed and go to the restroom as needed.

LENGTH: Procedure time approximately 1 hour (Total hospital time 5-6 hours)

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