Kidney Scan

Diagnostic imaging procedures like ultrasounds produce invaluable pictures of your internal organs, but sometimes, they don’t provide enough information. Reagan Medical Center’s office in Five Forks, Lawrenceville, Georgia, offers advanced kidney scans that produce vital additional data. Call Five Forks or Reagan Medical Center’s other offices in Dacula, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, or Johns Creek, Georgia, to learn more about kidney scans. You can also click online today to request a consultation.

What is a kidney scan?

A kidney scan — also known as renal imaging, a renal scan, or renal scintigraphy — checks your kidneys to see how well they work.

The Reagan Medical Center team might recommend a kidney scan because it provides information that doesn’t appear on tests like ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs.

Kidney scans use tiny amounts of radioactive material that goes inside your body. A special camera and computer software identify traces of the radioactive material in your kidneys and use them to produce images your provider can analyze.

Why might I need a kidney scan?

You might require a kidney scan if the Reagan Medical Center team suspects a problem with your kidney function. Kidney scans show various issues in one or both kidneys, including:

• Abscesses (infection pockets)
• Renal artery disease (narrow/blocked arteries supplying blood to your kidneys)
• Hydronephrosis (blocked urine flow)
• Renal hypertension (kidney artery high blood pressure)
• Vesicoureteral reflux (urine flowing backward from your bladder to your kidneys)
• Kidney injuries
• Kidney cysts and tumors
• Kidney disease
• Kidney failure
• Poor kidney function following surgery/transplantation

The Reagan Medical Center team usually detects signs of kidney problems after running blood and urine tests, either during routine screening or because you develop symptoms of poor kidney function.

What does a kidney scan involve?

During the scan, you lie or sit on a scanning table. The specialized camera moves around you, taking images from various angles. Sometimes, you might need to change your position during the procedure for the clearest results.

Kidney scans may take 30 minutes or up to two hours, depending on how clear the pictures are and if they need redoing. Afterward, you’re free to continue with your day as usual.

Are there different kinds of kidney scans?

Specialized kidney scans include:

ACE inhibitor renal scintigraphy

This kidney test assesses the renal arteries for high blood pressure. Your provider examines images of your kidneys before you take ACE inhibitor medication and again after.

Diuretic renal scintigraphy

This kidney scan detects blockages or urine flow problems by producing images before and after you swallow a diuretic (water pill).

Renal cortical scintigraphy

This procedure checks the renal cortical tissue in the outer kidney.

Renal perfusion

Perfusion scans measure the width of your renal arteries. The camera takes multiple pictures over 20-30 minutes.

For further information about kidney scans, call Reagan Medical Center or book an appointment online today.