St. Mary’s General Hospital operates the Kitchener-Waterloo Regional Nuclear Medicine Program. Nuclear Medicine plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear medicine procedures are helpful to a broad range of medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology to oncology. There are nearly one hundred different nuclear medicine imaging procedures available.
What is Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear medicine is a diagnostic service that uses very small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. Radiopharmaceuticals are substances that travel to specific organs, bones, or tissues. The radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of gamma cameras or Positron emission tomography (PET) cameras. These cameras work in conjunction with computers to form images that provide information about the function of the organ being imaged. The amount of radiation from a nuclear medicine procedure is very low and can be comparable to that received during a diagnostic x-ray. The radioactive materials used have very short half-lives, which means that they decay rapidly into a harmless material.
Hours of Operation:
St. Mary's General Hospital Site 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Grand River Hospital Site 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
How to Get To Nuclear Medicine
The Nuclear Medicine Department is located on the first floor of the hospital. When you arrive at the hospital please stop at the information desk for directions and a volunteer will be happy to escort you.
The Nuclear Medicine Department at Grand River Hospital is located on the 2nd floor next to Medical Imaging.
Scheduling Procedures
Appointments are scheduled through physician referral only. Your physician will:
- Complete the necessary requisition to order the test (similar to writing a prescription for medication).
- Fax, mail, or send the requisition with each patient.
- Call us to schedule a test.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, or you need to re-schedule, please call the department of nuclear medicine at (519) 749-6495.
Request for Films:
Perhaps your physician has asked you for a copy of your nuclear medicine film. What do you do next? First, if you've had multiple tests, make sure you know which tests you need film copies for.
The Nuclear Medicine film library can be reached at (519) 749-6495. After you call, we'll have a copy of your film available for you to pick up. If possible, we ask that you give us 24 hours notice. The films can be picked up between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays. When you come to pick up your films, we'll ask you to complete a release form. This form is necessary for your security as well as our records.
What You Should Know:
Your doctor has referred you or a family member for a test in the nuclear medicine department because the information obtained from the test will be important in determining the diagnosis and treatment of the medical problem you may have.
You probably have a number of questions such as:
- What is a nuclear medicine test?
- What preparation is needed for the test?
- What will happen during the test?
This section provides information on some of the more commonly performed diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures.
Procedure List
The material presented here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for discussion between you and your physician. If you require more information about a nuclear medicine procedure, please consult your physician or the nuclear medicine department.
If you think you might be pregnant or are nursing a baby, please contact the department prior to having your procedure.
For more information please contact:
Christine Runnquist, Program Manager
Phone: 519-749-6578 ext. 6496
Email: crunnquist@smgh.ca