Duration
A CT examination does not take long in itself. Depending on the areas from which the low-dose CT is to be performed, the examination itself is usually completed within a few minutes. However, there are often longer waiting times before the examination.
The actual creation of the image, i.e. the scanning of the body using the radiation, is completed within fractions of a second. If a contrast medium has to be administered in addition, the CT takes a little longer. However, the CT image must then be evaluated, which takes longer than the actual image acquisition. A radiologist can do this within a few minutes. How long the entire examination actually takes from preparation to result depends on the various waiting times and is different in each practice or clinic.
Costs
If there is a medical indication, the health insurance company will cover the costs of the low-dose CT. The costs of the examination vary depending on the body area being examined. However, if a long-time smoker without symptoms wants to have a CT of his lungs in order to exclude lung cancer, there is no medical indication for the health insurance company as there is no underlying disease and no symptoms. In this case, the patient very often has to bear the costs himself. However, private health insurance companies still cover the costs in many cases.
Do I need contrast medium?
Whether contrast medium is needed depends on the medical question. For the diagnosis of some diseases the administration of contrast medium is important. If the administration of a contrast medium is appropriate for your medical problem, your attending physician will inform you about it.
As a rule, contrast medium is not necessary to detect kidney stones. Contrast medium is, however, required if the urinary tract is to be visualized, e.g. to plan an operation for treatment. If vessels are to be depicted in a low-dose CT examination, i.e. a so-called CT angiography is performed, contrast medium must be administered. Without this, the vessels cannot be adequately assessed.
