26 Bell Street, Wanganui
Cortex Medical Imaging is a family run business, operated by Graeme and Janet Campbell. We set up the DEXA Scanner business in response to the increasing demands for this service, and to provide more convenience for Wanganui’s aging population. It has been a real honour to fill this gap in the local health service and we look forward to serving the residents of Wanganui and its surrounds in the years ahead.
A DEXA scan is used to check how strong your bones are. It uses low-energy X-rays from two sources, to give a highly accurate measure of bone density. This information is sent to a computer which calculates a score of the average density of the bone. A low score indicates that the bone is less dense than it should be and that some bone material has been lost. This means the bone is more prone to fracture.
The patient lies on their back on the scanner couch while the scanner arm moves quietly over the area being tested. The bones commonly scanned are the bones of the lower back, hip and wrist. The scans usually take between 10 and 20 minutes in total, depending on the clients mobility and the body parts being scanned. It is a straight forward procedure. If possible wear metal free clothing. A gown is available to change into if needed.
The sooner you find out if you have low bone density (osteoporosis) the better. You need to know as early as possible to manage your bone health. Finding out this information means you and your doctor can take action to keep your bones strong, slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures.
DEXA scans use a very low level of X-ray radiation. This means that repeat scans pose minimal danger and are often done to monitor any changes in a clients bone density.
Your Doctor or Specialist will send a request to Wanganui Hospital. If you meet the criteria, they in turn will contract us to do the scan. These scans are usually funded and may incur no cost to the patient. We will contact you either by phone or mail to arrange a suitable time for you to come in. Patients can bypass this process and request and pay for their own scan privately.
