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The barium (and maybe air) allow the radiologist to see structures that would otherwise not be well seen on regular x-ray images.

After a barium enema exam, the barium moves through your digestive system and is mostly excreted in your stoool. It may take 1-2 days to fully pass. Barium can cause constipation and make stools appear white. Drinking fluids and eating fiber can help prevent constipation. If you experience severe pain or difficulty passing stool, contact your doctor.

No, you can return to normal activities. Actively moving/exercising will encourage any remaining barium to pass out of your colon.

A catheter will be placed through the cervix by a Pueblo radiologist.  An iodine-based contrast material (“x-ray dye”) will be injected into the uterus while the radiologist watches the uterus and oviducts fill under x-ray guidance.  In cases of infertility, the radiologist will be looking for the contrast material to “spill” into the abdominal cavity, indicating that the oviducts re unobstructed.

The contrast material is sterile when injected, and that which spills is naturally absorbed in the abdomen and excreted in the urine. The patient will see no change in urine color or consistency.

When the exam is completed, the catheter is removed and the patient is dismissed. Since residual contrast may continue to seep down from the uterus and you may have some spotting. It is recommended that you wear a pad for a few hours following the test. Normally, no sedation is given for a hysterosalpingogram so you can drive home.

Most women will experience some cramping during the examination. The severity varies person to person but only lasts for a minute or two and will resolve completely following the procedure.

It will not influence your ability to become pregnant.  In fact, it is not uncommon for a woman who was previously having trouble becoming pregnant to get pregnant following the test.

It is excreted normally in your urine. As the contrast is mostly clear, you will notice no color change in your urine.

You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You have high cholesterol levels
• You have high triglyceride values
• You smoke
• You have high blood pressure
• You are hereditarily at risk
• You have diabetes

Or any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact your physician to find out more about how CT can help in the evaluation of your heart.

This CT exam detects and quantifies calcium deposits in the vessels of the heart.  This exam can help predict the likelihood of developing heart disease or having a heart attack before symptoms occur.  For those people having one or more risk factors for heart disease, CT cardiac scoring is recommended.

A non-invasive computed tomography (CT) scan captures detailed images of the heart.  These images are analyzed by a computer and the amount of calcium detected in the vessels is assigned a score corresponding to level of risk for coronary artery disease: very low – low – moderate – high.  Knowing your level of risk will allow you and your doctor to take proactive steps toward managing your cardiovascular health.

You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You smoke
• You are exposed to second-hand smoke
• You are hereditarily at risk for lung cancer
• Asbestos exposure

Or any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle.

A CT scan is performed, with a low radiation dose, in just 15 seconds. If the result is negative, clinically significant lung lesions/nodules can be excluded with very high probability. If positive, further diagnostic measures appropriate for the severity of the suspected disorder may be are required.

This is a screening technique that has been discussed in recent medical literature as an extremely sensitive method of detecting early and potentially curable lung cancers, while they are still very small nodules, i.e. less than 1 cm in size.

Once the patient is on the CT Scanner, the test should take no more than 15 minutes.

This is not a painful test. There are no injections. It merely requires one to hold their breath for roughly 15-20 seconds.

A negative is never absolute, however, it is extremely accurate in the detection of small lung nodules, the earliest sign of lung cancer. A small cancer that may arise in the tracheobronchial tree may not be detected by this technique. If the test is positive, it means you have one or more small lung nodules. But this does not mean you have lung cancer. The test is designed to detect small nodules in the lung. If you have a positive test (one or more nodules), a high resolution (more detailed) CT Scan will be performed. The purpose of this is to further characterize the lesion, to look for certain features that make it more suspicious for cancer, or more likely to be benign. In addition, depending on the number, size and characteristics of the nodules, some patients will go on to have a lung biopsy. This is usually under CT guidance with local anesthesia. A sample of the nodule is obtained through a needle. Some patients may go directly to surgery. There is a large sub-group of patients who will have a recommendation for a follow­up study to try to determine the growth of the nodule.

You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You have high cholesterol levels
• You have high triglyceride values
• You smoke
• You have high blood pressure
• You are hereditarily at risk
• You have diabetes

Or any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact your physician to find out more about how CT can help in the evaluation of your heart.

The abdominal aorta is the main artery of the body. Vascular disease and potentially lethal aneurysms (abdominal aortic aneurysm = AAA) can occur without visible signs or symptoms. Overall, the probability of AAA in the general population is low, but this increases when certain risk factors are present. 

These include: 

• Age 
• Male gender 
• White race 
• Smoking 
• Family History of aneurysms 
• History of other vascular aneurysms 
• Hypertension 
• Atherosclerotic diseases 
• Cerebrovascular disease 
• High cholesterol 

One-time ultrasound screening for AAA is recommended for all men at or older than 65 years.  Other appropriate screening conditions include: 

• Screening men as early as 55 years is appropriate for those with a family history of AAA
• One-time ultrasound screening for AAA is recommended for all women at or older than 65 years with a family history of AAA or who have smoked 
• Re-screening patients for AAA is not recommended if an initial ultrasound scan performed on patients 65 years of age or older demonstrates an aortic diameter of <2.6 cm. 

Vascular disease can block the carotid artery blood flow to the brain and cause strokes. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Each year, 140,000 people die annually from this disorder. A large proportion of strokes is caused by plaque in the carotid arteries. In 2020, Americans paid about US $67 billion for stroke-related medical costs and disability and the cost is expected to climb to over $400 billion by 2050. (American Heart Association).

Vascular disease can impair circulation to the legs, leading to a reduced ability to walk and in some cases, leg amputation. Vascular disease in the legs is a major indicator for heart disease. One in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It affects 19-21 million people in the United States as of 2020 (evtoday.com). Individuals with PAD suffer a five-fold increased relative risk of a cardiovascular ischemic event and total mortality that is two-three fold greater than those without PAD. Therefore, screening for PAD not only identifies patients with asymptomatic PAD in whom risk factor modification can slow or stop the progression of the disease process, but also allows identification of individuals who may also may be at risk of heart attack and stroke due to blockages affecting these organ systems.

You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You have high cholesterol levels
• You have high triglyceride values
• You smoke
• You have high blood pressure
• You are hereditarily at risk
• You have diabetes

Or any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact your physician to find out more about how CT can help in the evaluation of your heart.

Usually your appointment will be 60 minutes. The first 30 minutes will have you lying down as we monitor your blood pressure and pulse. We will also give you a drug that slows your heart rate. A slower heart rate provides a much better study. Your “table time” on the scanner will be about 30 minutes while the actual scan is only 15-20 seconds.