What to do before your appointment
Preparing for a diagnostic scan
How to prepare for your private diagnostic service
We do all we can to make attending a Vista Health appointment a relaxed and comfortable experience. Most of our procedures are quick and non-invasive, and don’t call for any special preparation. For some, however, it’s important to take a few simple steps to get ready for your session.
As the UK’s largest independent provider of specialist private diagnostic services, we offer a wide range of scanning and screening procedures, including MRI and CT scanning, ECG, ultrasound, ECHO heart scanning and full-body MRI. Each one has different requirements in terms of preparation, so please read the page relating to the service you’re planning to use.
Our most popular diagnostic services
WHAT TO EXPECT
Our Patient Care Team will make sure you know what you need to do before your appointment, however see our service pages to find out more details of what is included. And of course, you can call our Patient Care Team on 0333 331 5779 with any questions.
What to do before a scan or screening session
Some procedures require specific preparation depending on which part of the body is to be examined, and what the aim of the investigation may be. You’ll find more information on the pages for each procedure, and our Patient Care Team will make sure you know what to do in good time.
In general we suggest you wear loose, comfortable clothing, and arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment.
Can I eat or drink before my appointment?
For most procedures, you can continue to eat and drink as normal before your appointment. There are some, however, where we’ll advise you to fast for a number of hours, or to drink a specific volume of water before the scan. We’ll make sure you’re aware of any special instructions when you book your appointment.
See the individual page for your procedure, or contact our Patient Care Team for advice.
What you should tell us before your appointment
Most of our procedures are painless, non-invasive, and safe for everyone. However, you should tell us if you have any special circumstances, for example if you have a pacemaker or another medical implant, or you have any metal fragments in your body.
What if I’m pregnant, or think I might be?
You should tell us if you might be pregnant. While diagnostic services present minimal risks to an unborn baby, we will want to discuss this with you before we proceed.
How long will my appointment last?
As we offer a wide range of scans and screening services, the time an appointment takes will vary somewhat.
Here’s a rough guide:
- Full-body MRI scan, 60 - 90 minutes
- Ultrasound scan, XX minutes
- Individual body part scan, XX minutes
- Open or Upright MRI scan, 45 minutes
- etc.
For all appointments, we’d ask you to attend about 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. This will give us the opportunity to check over a few details, and for you to relax and get comfortable before we begin.
