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Myelogram

what to expect from your myelogram

Once you are settled in your room, you will be asked to disrobe and put on a hospital gown. Do not bring any jewelry or other valuables to the hospital the day of your procedure.

Your nurse will perform a physical exam, which will include taking your vital signs and conducting a brief neurological evaluation. An intravenous (IV) line will be placed in your hand or arm, and you will be asked to empty your bladder. When the time comes for your test, a hospital transporter will help you onto a cart and take you to the myelogram examination room.

At this time, a radiology nurse or the radiologist may give you a mild sedative to help you relax. You will then be asked to lie on your side with your knees pulled toward your chest so that your back is slightly curved. For your comfort, a pillow may be placed between your knees and another under your head.

Then the radiologist will begin the process of removing a small amount of your cerebrospinal fluid for laboratory analysis. He or she will use an antibacterial solution to cleanse the selected insertion site on your back or neck, then inject a local anesthetic to numb the area. You may feel a burning sensation for a few seconds when the anesthetic is injected. After the area is numb, the radiologist will insert another needle through your skin and into the fluid-filled space that surrounds your spinal cord. You will not feel any sharp pain, although you may feel as though someone is putting pressure on your back. The radiologist will then use the needle to withdraw the cerebrospinal fluid.

Next the radiologist will use a needle to inject the contrast solution into the fluid-filled space. This may cause increased pain in the area where you already are experiencing pressure, but it is only temporary and will end shortly.

You will then be asked to lie face down on an examination table, and may be asked to place a pillow under your abdomen. Since any movement during the test can make the myelogram images blurry, the technologist might place bands around your head and body to help you remain still.

The radiologist will tilt the table in different directions, allowing the dye to flow into the area of the spinal canal that your CINN physician wishes to study. You may be slightly uncomfortable as the table tilts, especially if your feet are higher than your head. Try not to move; these positions will not last a long time. The radiologist will take a series of x-rays at different tilt positions.

The myelogram takes 30 to 90 minutes to complete. Afterward, you will be taken to another room for the CT scan.