Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that uses radioactive substances to diagnose and treat disease.
During a nuclear medicine procedure, a patient will ingest, inhale or receive an injection of radioactive material called a radiopharmaceutical. Once this material has travelled to the organ(s) of interest, a technologist will take pictures using a special imaging system, called a gamma camera.
The nuclear medicine division at Women’s College Hospital has three gamma cameras, including two new state-of-the-art hybrid SPECT/CT imaging systems. Both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures are offered.
Nuclear medicine at Women’s College Hospital specializes in nuclear cardiology, particularly the use of myocardial perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Additional areas of specialty include the diagnosis and treatment of cancers common in women, including breast, thyroid, parathyroid, melanoma and neuroendocrine, as well as injuries related to sports medicine and rheumatologic disorders.
Contact Info
76 Grenville St
Floor 2
Toronto, ON M5S 1B2
Hours of Service
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m
A referral from a physician is required.
ELECTRONIC REFERRALS
The Joint Department of Medical Imaging is now accepting referrals through Ocean eReferral to help everyone save time and to increase efficiency.
Ocean Network eReferral benefits for providers include:
- Accelerates appointment booking by improving communication between providers with secure bidirectional messaging
- Easy to use – integrates with top EMRs such as Telus PSS, Accuro and Oscar
- User friendly web-based portal
- Keeps you and your patients informed of referral status with automated email notifications and EMR status updates
- Patients can confirm appointment electronically
Ocean eReferral Network: For more information about eReferral can be found here.
FAX REFERRALS
Typed requisitions will improve overall legibility and completeness of the forms we receive. Please note this electronic version cannot be populated and saved, but must be printed, signed and faxed to the appropriate number indicated on top of the form.
Learn about how to prepare for your upcoming nuclear medicine appointment:
We recommend speaking to your referring doctor about any medications you are taking or allergies you may have. Jewelry and other metal objects should not be worn, or should be taken off prior to the exam, as they may interfere with obtaining optimal image quality during the procedure. In some cases, it may be necessary to empty your bladder immediately prior to your scan.
Nuclear medicine tests are non-invasive. Some require ingesting or inhaling a dye known as a tracer, or receiving an intravenous injection of the tracer before imaging. Pain is unlikely and is comparable to having your blood taken.
The length of time depends on the type of test being performed, with various tests ranging from 20 minutes (thyroid scan) to 4 hours (myocardial perfusion scan) in duration. An average test will usually require about an hour of your time.
There are no post-procedural instructions required and you may resume normal activities. In order to minimize the radiation exposure to patients, you will be encouraged to drink additional fluid and empty your bladder frequently until bed time after having a nuclear medicine procedure.
A report will be sent to your doctor within 10 days.