Liver Remnant Function Scan

Your doctor has requested that you have a Liver Remnant Function Scan. This leaflet will answer some of the questions you may have before you attend. Please read carefully as it contains specific instructions. If these instructions are not followed, we will be unable to perform the scan.

A Liver Remnant Function Scan is a way of taking pictures of your liver to estimate liver function using a SPECTCT scanner. A small amount of radioactivity is used to produce these pictures.

• At 4 hours BEFORE your scan, you MUST eat a light breakfast or light lunch please. (For example: If your appointment time is 10:00am, eat at 06:00am)
• Do not eat again until your scan is complete.
• We do ask that you attend 10-15 minutes before your appointment time.
• Please avoid wearing any jewellery e.g. earrings, necklaces, facial piercings. If possible, try to wear loose clothing with no metal zips, clips or buttons.
• Please can you attend on your own for your appointment if possible.

PLEASE ALLOW 2.5 HOURS FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT .

This test has no effect on diabetes. Please take insulin and medications as normal.

If you are or may be pregnant, it is important that you inform a member of staff prior to your scan. To avoid accidental irradiation, all patients between the ages of 11 and 55 years are asked about their pregnancy status.
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, please contact the Nuclear Medicine Department prior to your appointment.

The health professionals specially trained to perform your scan are Nurse Specialists, Clinical Technologists, Radiographers and radiography assistants and will fully explain the procedure.

Prior to the scan you will be asked to remove any clothing containing metal and to empty your pockets. We will take you into a scanning room and lie you on a bed between two detectors. A Clinical Technologist or Radiographer will administer an injection into a vein in your arm or hand. The injection is a radioactive tracer that is taken up by your liver. The scan will be performed as soon as the injection is given and will take approximately 1 hour.

The scan involves taking pictures while you lie on a bed. The camera is placed close to the part of the body being studied. Pictures will also be taken where the camera rotates slowly around your body (SPECT), with a CT scan to help further assess your condition. It is important you keep very still during your scan and listen to instructions given by the Radiographer or Clinical Technologist.

Please contact us if you think that you cannot do this for any reason.

We live with background radiation constantly. The additional amount of radiation from a SPECT CT scan is small.

The radioactive injection used for the SPECT scan exposes you to gamma rays, which are a form of radiation. For your injection we use as little as possible and is not associated with any side effects.

The CT scan uses X-Rays to create images. The risks are very low and the benefits of having the results from the procedure greatly outweigh the risk.

For radiation safety reasons, pregnant persons or children should not accompany you for your appointment.

When the scan is complete, you will be free to go home or return to work.

The scan is reported by a Radiologist, and results are made available for your doctor

A small amount of radioactivity will remain in your system for the next few days. To minimise any risk to you and your family/friends we ask you to:

• • Eat and drink as normal. If you can, drink extra fluids.
• • Flush the toilet well after use.
• • Wash your hands thoroughly each time you use the toilet.
• • Avoid prolonged close contact with pregnant women or children for 24 hours..
  

Nuclear Medicine,
Level 2, NCCC building,
Freeman Hospital
Freeman Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE7 7DN

Tel: (0191) 2138200 or 38201
nuth.nuclearmedicinefreeman@nhs.net
Monday to Friday 09:00am to 4:30pm

Parking information may be found here: Getting to hospital – Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk)