DEXA & Body Composition
Walkthrough
Before your appointment
All bone density procedures have no patient preparation requirements.
Please ensure you bring your referral, Medicare card and any previous bone density scan results or images with you to your appointment. Previous results are important so we can make an accurate comparison to any previous bone density measurements you may have had.
On the day of your appointment:
You will arrive at our practice and be registered at reception for your procedure.
A technologist will greet you, explain the procedure and gather specific clinical information that will assist with your results, and allow us to perform the scan as correctly as possible.
Scan and procedure specifics
You will be asked to change into a gown and lie on the scanning table. Sometimes you may be required to sit beside the table as well for images of your extremities. The bone densitometry unit will then be moved into the correct position to take the image. The ‘arm’ of the machine will move along the body and take the measurement of your bone density.
The machine uses low energy, low dose x-rays that are emitted from the unit and pass through the body onto the detector. This detector converts the x-rays that interact with it into both a measurement and an image.
A typical bone density examination takes only 10 minutes to complete.
The DEXA scanner at Garran Medical Imaging
Your report and images
Once your images are complete, we will process them using our computer. This allows us to provide clear images, to assist in your diagnosis. Our doctor will complete the report and images will made available to your doctor.
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