FAQs

To ensure a smooth process and short waiting time, we ask that you make an appointment with us in advance. We know the state of your health can change abruptly. Should this be the case, please contact us. We will do our best to find an appointment for you at short notice. You can book this appointment by phone, by mail or by using our contact form.

If you have public health insurance, you will need a referral for the desired examination. In addition to public health insurance services, we also offer individual health services (IGEL). Please contact us for more information.

If indicated, your health insurance will cover most of the classic examinations (e.g., CT or MRI). Private health insurance also usually covers all required examinations. For more detailed information, please contact your insurer. In addition, health check-ups or other desired examinations may be covered by you as a self-paying patient.

Due to our wide range of services, this question cannot be answered in general terms. However, our specialist staff will tell you everything you need to know about your examination preparation when you make your appointment. In some cases, we will also provide you with information in writing.

The duration of the individual examinations varies greatly and can last between five and 40 minutes of examination time alone. In addition, when planning your visit, you must include the preliminary discussion, if necessary, the administration of a tracer or contrast medium and the associated waiting times, as well as the diagnostic discussion. When you make your appointment, you will be told approximately how long the examination will take. On our website you will find a detailed overview of some of our examinations, e.g., PET/CT, and how much time you should plan for your stay with us.

Radiology and nuclear medicine are both imaging procedures, but they differ in the way they work and in the images they produce (cross-sectional images). Whereas in radiology the patient is exposed to X-rays or a magnetic field from the outside, in nuclear medicine a low-level radioactive substance is injected and the radiation emitted by the body is measured.

The difference in the imaging itself is that radiological examinations (e.g., MRI or CT) can very accurately represent the anatomy of the body, while nuclear medicine examinations (e.g., SPECT or PET) better represent function.

Hybrid examinations such as PET/CT or SPECT/CT combine the advantages of both examination methods and thus provide a high-resolution, detailed overall picture.

Nuclear medical examinations may only be performed by an expert physician after an appropriate indication has been established. The benefit of the examination is carefully weighed against the radiation risk.

On the one hand, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) differ technically, as they generate sectional images in different ways. A CT scanner uses X-rays, while an MRI scanner uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce slice images. In addition, the two devices depict the body in different ways. This enables different diagnostic options. Which type of examination is suitable for you therefore depends on the purpose of the procedure.

In nuclear medicine, radioactive substances are introduced into the body via tracers. These tracers are low-risk and are only used after careful consideration: Radiation exposure always follows the principle of “as little as possible, as much as necessary.” The benefits of the examination thus exceed the potential risks.

There are fixed Dose Reference Values (DRW) for individual examinations, which we carefully adhere to. We also use only state-of-the-art tracers and highly sensitive detectors so that radiation exposure is as low as possible.

In general, any person can participate in a nuclear medicine examination if there are no individual risks. We will discuss these risks with you in a detailed medical history interview.

In the case of pregnant women, the protection of the unborn child is paramount, which is why they cannot be examined using radioactive tracers.

Although X-rays are used, our examinations are very low-risk for you thanks to automatic dose optimization and modern examination equipment.

In principle, any person can receive a radiological examination, but pregnant women are an exception here. This is because every use of X-rays must be carefully considered to determine whether the medical benefit (diagnostic or therapeutic) of the examination outweighs the potential risk of radiation damage.

In addition to radiation, the contrast media administered during some examinations pose a minimal risk. In rare cases, allergic reactions can occur. In the run-up to your examination, we therefore discuss all possible risks with you in order to exclude them as best as possible.