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Fluoroscopy is a special type of X-ray which allows the radiologist to view the patient’s organ anatomy and function in real-time. This can be very useful in determining a cause of a patient’s symptoms. Common body parts studied under fluoroscopy include the esophagus, stomach, bowel, joints (e.g., shoulder, hip, elbow), uterus/fallopian tubes, and bladder. Common studies which patients receive under fluoroscopy and which your doctor may order include esophagrams or “barium swallow,” upper gastrointestinal exams, arthrograms, hysterosalpingograms (HSGs), and cystograms.
For these exams, real-time images are taken to document the nature and function of the organ or body part in question. If a patient is having a certain procedure (such as a joint injection or lumbar puncture), fluoroscopy plays an important role in making sure the procedure is both precise and accurate. As with any X-ray, you do not feel any sensations or discomfort from the fluoroscopy images themselves. Overall, you can think of fluoroscopy as simply a live X-ray.
Before you come for your exam, you will be given instructions about what, if any, preparations need to be done from your side. When you arrive at our center, you will be greeted by a technologist and brought to the fluoroscopy suite. Depending on the part of your body under examination, you may be asked to stand up, sit down, or lie down for the images. The technologist and radiologist will gently position you for proper imaging. Once the images are obtained, they will be interpreted by the radiologist and a report will be delivered to your ordering physician.