My nephrologist ordered a DTPA scan. I hadn't even heard of this before. Has anyone ever done it? Does it have any advantages or disadvantages over other forms of kidney function tests? I mean can it show something about my gfr that Cystatin C or creatinine can't?
This is the first thing that I saw on the Net about it :
"DTPA scan is a nuclear medicine exam in which a small amount of radioactive material (radioisotope) is used to measure the function of the kidneys, to see how the left and right kidney work comparatively. This test allows any sites of blockage to be identified and detected."
It's kind of expensive. Fortunately my health insurance will cover most of the cost.
Apparently, I'm gonna have to lie down for a very long time (1—4 hrs)!!!
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Sharam
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Keep calm. Don't overthink it. Its part of imaging without the dangerous radiation. Yes, they inject you with an imaging agent, but at least its not a CT.
Its just as you described but hopefully not stretched out 4 hours. Mine was less than 2 hours both times I did it. But between arrival in the waiting room, prep, and execution, I think it covered about 3 hours of service. They say it takes longer if you can't hold your urine until the time clock runs out. So that's part of the concept of how it makes the technique work: your discipline to not break your reading.
That's really all they ask of you to withstand: willpower to not pee too early before the testing clock ends. They say they actually might have to scrap your exam and reschedule you. You really dont want that because it just delays you finding out what's going on. More stress. And in the pandemic, you need to keep your appointments rather than delay them. So just follow directions and hold your pee the last ten minutes close to the clock running out. The agent they inject you with prompts you to want to pee all of a sudden. Shrugs.
The gist is to have you lay the (for me) 'about 45 minutes' for two sessions without peeing. After the first take of the first scan, they let you urinate, and then set you up to do the second scan just like the first one. After its ended, you are allowed to scurry to pee.
The agent they inject you with is like a dye that shows on imaging how you kidneys are working in real-time. That's the best layman way I can explain the concept as told to me in layman's speak. So they need you to use your willpower to not pee yourself or jump up and ruin the test by jolting to run to the restroom. Its easy and relaxing. It just requires discipline because you will want to pee before the clock runs out.
Your doctor will then get the results and see what each kidney is doing. My urologist prescribed mine after my ureter was damaged from a surgery that lead to my kidneys swelling over time.
My nephrologist who've I've only so far seem just once hasn't ordered one yet. But the urologist had me do one to see how the kidneys were affected by the gynecological surgeons negligence; he then sent me to do another one after he, the urologist, operated to save my failing kidney by reconnecting it (and my clipped uereter) back to the bladder. The urologist is actually setting me up for another one. I'm told I'll be doing this every six months for his observation.
So it seems like you're doing the basics in imaging. There is nothing you need to do in trying to hack results. Its a test to tell you the truth about what has become of your kidney functions in real-time processing of urine.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation!A question though. What if I drink water and don't feel the urge to pee?!
It sometimes happens to me in ultrasound imaging. It takes longer than usual sometimes you know.
I drink two glasses of water and it takes like two or three hours or more even.
Actually, I was a little nervous, but not that much. I was wondering if this scan can show something that creatinine and cystatin c cannot! Seemingly it can... So I hope it'll be good news hahahaha 😅
I can't remember the prerequisites of staging. My bad. I'm not sure if they tell you not to eat or drink. I'm no help because I've had so many procedures with different eating and drinking guidelines. But I do recall being told to tinkle before it starts. Maybe that's the answer. I wish I can be definitive for you. But do know, I remember being told to tinkle before being injected and scanned.
I don't think you should over think it. Radiology will advise you on guidelines.
Now as for those nephrological reads...
Again, I can't jump in on answering that because a urologist looks for different things and asks for different things. For instance, at the medical facility--I asked my urologist to go inside my nephrologist tests to explain some thing and he got to a part about the protein in my urine to know its serious but held back to clarify it wasn't his wheelhouse to go further responsibly. What he did was have the nephrologist to give me a call. I had labs done by him that said negative protein but Nephrology is far more complex in testing.
They overlap about kidney function but not equilaterally in meaning. So my neuroscan might just have been gauged for urological measurements of 'drainage'. I kept hearing that term. And maybe the nephrologist looks for other measurements when ordering a neuroscan. (But you know, Google should be able to answer if someone here can't).
Just know...Now I'm going to ask this question of my urologist.
Oh, no! You were of great help! Thank you so very much for your comments.I was just a little worried about the injection, cause I have ITP (low platelet counts)
I was wondering if it can impact the count. I'll definitely ask the doctor about it.
I had it early on when they were diagnosing me. It was a way to make sure there is no blockage or an acute injury to your kidneys. It is a way to really judge how well your kidneys are working. I would welcome the test. It is a definitive test to make sure nothing else is going on with your kidneys. If there was a blockage, it could be surgically corrected.
For me, at least, it was reassuring that nothing else was going on.
I was diagnosed with FSGS. I now had my transplant over 22 years ago.
It seems to be the same as the MAG-3 renal scan I had last year. AFAIK the radiation exposure is significantly bigger than a CT scan but it is for a reason. All that I know is that with this test they could assess/calculate more precisely how much function I had left in each kidney and that this test is not accurate when the function is very low in which case a different imaging would be more appropriate. So yes I think it's fair to say that they each got their benefits and limitation. Which was the case for my right kidney and since I was still experiencing symptoms a nephrectomy ensued. Histopathology confirmed the state of the kidney.
Since you seems quite anxious about your kidney (from your previous posts), do you know why you are doing this scan or did you merely asked for the most expensive one? It might be the best scan to suit your need but you might want to have a talk with your specialist about alternative and know what they can and cannot see, do or diagnose. A cystoscopy might also be an option. Heck, even a biopsy.
Okay. You just educated me that there is a higher dosage renal scan. And this is it? Ugh!!!
I had a nephrotomy and was told they biopsied the damaged kidney to find it clean. And during the cytoscopsy, determined the bladder clean. Not sure if that was biopsied though. You've dropped quite a few terms I plan to look into.
I appreciate your detailed response. I wonder if this is where I'm headed now that I'm entering care out of Urology into Nephrology. I know you're not my doctor, but I'm speaking it into the universe that I don't want anymore radiation.
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