Health Check-up

Estimated Cost: $90 - $650

Heart Check-up

Estimated Cost: $250 - $1,300

Chart courtesy of Bangkok Hospital

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PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan

Estimated Cost: $2000 - $3000

Why Do I Need a PET Scan?

PET Scans are often able to find cancers that have spread inside the body. A CT or MRI scan tells the doctor what an organ looks like, and where a tumour is.  A PET scan shows how cells and organs in your body are working.  A PET scan can measure how much energy a tumour is using.  Scar tissue and tumours that have responded to chemotherapy or radiotherapy do not use much energy.  Cells and tumours that are growing or active use a lot of energy.  A PET scan can help tell the difference between these types of cells. 

How is a PET Scan Performed?

A PET scanner is a special camera that can take pictures of the inside of your body by sensing a radioactive tracer.  For most studies this tracer is a radioactive glucose (sugar) called FDG.  Before your PET scan you will be given an injection of a small amount of radioactive glucose.  Cells in the body absorb glucose at different rates.  The PET scan can measure how much radioactive glucose is being used.  This reflects the cells� metabolism.  A PET scan may find disease before it shows up on other tests.  It can tell doctors how a disease responds to treatment. 

When is a PET Scan Used?

What Happens When I Come for a Test?

Most often, this will be 45 minutes to an hour.  If you are having a heart study you may not need to wait at all.  During the waiting time you may not read, talk or listen to music.  For some exams you may be asked to wait in a quiet dimly lit room so as not to stimulate your brain by reading or talking.

How Do I Prepare for a Pet Scan?

What is a PET scan like?

You will lie on a table that moves slowly through the ring- like PET scanner.  You must lie very still because movement can affect the test.  You should feel normal during the test.  It can last 30 minutes to 2 hours.

What happens after the scan?

You may leave as soon as the scan is complete.  You will be able to eat and drink right away unless you have been told not to.  Drink a lot of fluids the day of the test to help clear the tracer from your system.

What Are the Risks of Having a PET Scan?

The radiation you receive is about the same as what you would receive from a bone scan; a test often done in Nuclear Medicine.  The radioactive tracer does not remain in your body for very long.  There is no reason to avoid being around other people once you have left.  To be extra safe avoid being around infants or women who are pregnant for a couple of hours after the scan.

I am Interested in a PET Scan, What Do I Do Now?

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MRI Scan

Estimated Cost: $400 - $500

Why Do I Need An MRI Scan?

Combining MRI�s with other imaging methods can often help the doctor make a more definitive diagnosis. MRI images taken after a special dye (contrast) is delivered into the body may provide additional information about the blood vessels.

An MRA, or magnetic resonance angiogram, is a form of magnetic resonance imaging, which creates three-dimensional pictures of blood vessels. It is often used when traditional angiography cannot be done.

What is an MRI Scan?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging, is a non-invasive way to take pictures of the body. Unlike X-rays and Computed Tomographic ( CT ) scans, which use radiation, MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The MRI scanner contains the magnet. The magnetic field produced by an MRI is about 10 thousand times greater than the earth's.

The magnetic field forces hydrogen atoms in the body to line up in a certain way (similar to how the needle on a compass moves when you hold it near a magnet). When radio waves are sent toward the lined-up hydrogen atoms, they bounce back, and a computer records the signal. Different types of tissues send back different signals. For example, healthy tissue sends back a slightly different signal than cancerous tissue.

How is an MRI Scan Performed?

You may be asked to wear a hospital gown or clothing without metal fasteners (such as sweatpants and a t-shirt). You will be asked to lie on a narrow table, which slides into the middle of the MRI machine. If you have a fear of confined spaces (claustrophobia), tell your doctor before the exam. You may be prescribed a mild sedative, or your doctor may recommend an "open" MRI, in which the machine is not as close to the body. Small devices, called coils, may be placed around the head, arm, or leg, or other areas to be studied. These devices help send and receive the radio waves, and improve the quality of the images.

Certain exams require that a special dye (contrast) be given before the test. The dye is usually given through an intravenous line (IV) in your hand or forearm. The contrast helps the radiologist see certain areas more clearly. During the MRI, the person who operates the machine will watch you from a room next door. Several sets of images are usually need, each taking from 2 to 15 minutes. Depending on the areas being studied and type of equipment, the exam may take 1 hour or longer.

How Do I Prepare for the Test?

An MRI can be performed immediately after other imaging studies. Depending on the area of interest, the patient may be asked to fast for 4 - 6 hours prior to the scan. Other preparations are usually not needed. The strong magnetic fields created during an MRI can interfere with certain implants, particularly pacemakers . Persons with cardiac pacemakers cannot receive an MRI and should not enter an MRI area.

If you have any of the following metallic objects in your body, you should not get an MRI:

You will be asked to sign a consent form that says you do not have any of these items in your body. Before an MRI, sheet metal workers or any person that may have been exposed to small metal fragments should receive a skull x-ray to check for metal in the eyes.

Because of the strong magnets, certain metallic objects are not allowed into the room.

What is an MRI Scan Like?

An MRI exam causes no pain. Some people may become anxious when inside the scanner. If you have difficulty lying still or are very anxious, you may be given a mild sedative. Excessive movement can blur MRI images and cause errors.

The table may be hard or cold, but you can request a blanket or pillow. The machine produces loud thumping and humming noises when turned on. Ear plugs are usually given to help reduce the noise. An intercom in the scanner allows you to speak to the person operating the exam at any time. Some MRIs have televisions and special headphones that you can use to help the time pass.

There is no recovery time, unless sedation was necessary. After an MRI scan, you can resume your normal diet, activity, and medications.

What are the Risks of an MRI?

There is no ionizing radiation involved in MRI, and there have been no documented significant side effects of the magnetic fields and radio waves used on the human body to date. The most common type of contrast (dye) used is gadolinium. It is very safe. Allergic reactions to the substance rarely occur. The person operating the machine will monitor your heart rate and breathing as needed.

MRI is usually not recommended for acute trauma situations, because traction and life-support equipment cannot safely enter the scanner area and the exam can take quite a bit of time. People have been harmed in MRI machines when they did not remove metal objects from their clothes or when metal objects were left in the room by others.

What Types of MRI are Available?

I am Interested in an MRI Scan, What Do I Do Now?

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64-Slice CT Scan (CT Angiogram + Calcium Score) Package

Estimated Cost: $400-$450

What is a CT Angiogram?

The 64-slice Multidetector CT Scanner, a non-invasive procedure, provides investigation results similar to that of cardiac catheterization. The only difference is that a catheter is not inserted in the coronary artery. This procedure also provides vital information about calcium scoring volume, heart muscle functions and pericardium. The 64-slice Multidetector CT Scanner is also effective in examining the blood vessels and organs of the body.

Why Do I Need an Angiogram?

It is effective in the early diagnosis of heart diseases, delivering complete accuracy and non-invasive cardiac solutions, including detailed function assessment, anatomic evaluation, lesion characterization and evolving one-touch workflow solutions for quick results.

Am I a Candidate for a CT Angiogram?

To be eligible, you need to be approved by the Cardiologists / the Cardiac Surgeons of the Bangkok Heart Hospital .

I am Interested in a CT Scan, What Do I Do Now?

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