Procedure:

• You have been referred for a Hepatobiliary Study (or DISIDA Study) to determine if you have Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction.

• This study allows us to see if your common bile duct is functioning as it should be post cholecystectomy i.e. after your gallbladder has been removed.

• This test takes 1.5 hours to complete.

• You need to fast for a minimum of 8 hours before the test (a small amount of water is permitted).

• Upon arrival, you will be given ENSURE Plus (1) to drink.

• You are then required to wait 20 minutes before we can start imaging your hepatobiliary system. 

• You will be asked to lie on a bed whilst a Gamma camera (2) continually takes images of your abdomen. Imaging is painless.

• We inject a small amount of radioactive tracer called 99mTc-DISIDA (99m-Technetium Diisopropyl Iminodiacetic Acid) into a vein in your arm.

• There are rarely any side effects with this injection.​

• This tracer follows the same pathway as bile in your body. Bile is a fluid produced by your liver and is usually stored in your gallbladder. As you do not have a gallbladder, the bile moves directly into your small bowel via the common bile duct.

• For the hour, we look to see if your common bile duct retains the DISIDA or releases it freely into your small bowel.

• You receive a slight radiation dose by having a Biliary Study ~ up to 1.4 times your yearly background radiation (3).

 

Patient Preparation:

• If you are pregnant, trying to fall pregnant or breast feeding, you must inform our staff.

• You are not to have anything to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to the scan. An exception to this rule is if you have biliary atresia. If you are unsure, please call us to confirm your preparation.

• Avoid Barium Meals (radiographic examination) 2 days prior to having a DISIDA scan.

• No morphine or morphine derived medications should be taken for 24 hours prior to the scan.

• If you have had prior imaging e.g. PET, Nuclear Scan, CT, MRI, X-Ray, Ultrasound, etc... please bring these with you.

• Please also bring your referral and any blood results that you may have had done.

• Wear comfortable clothing and minimise the amount of metal jewellery you have on (all metal objects will need to be removed prior to imaging).

• Important Note: You cannot have this test if you have had a PET or Nuclear Scan within 24 hours prior to this test. If you have had Iodine-131 therapy, allow 4-weeks before having this test. Please ring to discuss booking options.​

 

Breast-Feeding Mothers: Once you have been given the tracer, you need to stop breast-feeding for two feeds. During this time, you need to express and discard your breast milk. You will need to bottle-feed your child during this period.

 

(1) "Ensure Plus" is a fatty meal that causes your body to naturally release cholecystokinin.

(2) Gamma Camera is a device that detects gamma-rays (gamma-rays are very similar to x-rays) and does not emit any radiation.

(3) We all receive a yearly background radiation dose ~ 2.4mSv. Biliary Study or DISIDA Study ~ 3.4mSv = 1.42 times yearly background dose.