Shunt Patency Study

A Shunt patency study is used to verify if your shunt is functioning properly. 

When you arrive in the department, a technologist will explain the entire procedure to you and then give you the opportunity to ask any questions. A Nuclear Medicine Physician will also explain the procedure to you and answer any questions that you may have. You will be asked to sign a consent form before proceeding with the test. 

You will then be taken into an imaging room and asked to lie on an imaging table. In order to access your shunt properly, it may be necessary to shave a small amount of hair that is covering the shunt port. Once the port is clearly visible, the physician will clean the area with a sterile solution of Povidone iodine and alcohol. A small needle will be placed into the reservoir of the shunt under sterile conditions. It is important that you stay very still, and do not move or cough. The physician will then inject a small amount of radioactive tracer into your shunt port. There are no known side effects from the radiotracer. A special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your head. You will then be asked to lie perfectly still while a series of pictures are taken of your head, chest and abdomen. These pictures will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Depending on how fast your shunt drains, you may then be asked to walk around or remain seated in the waiting room, giving the tracer time to move. Thereafter, additional images will be taken. The total duration of this procedure is approximately an hour to an hour and a half.

• Bring your Health card.
• No special preparation is required. You will be able to eat, drink and take your medications as normal on the day of your scan.  
• Please leave all valuables at home.
• Please notify our booking office at the time of scheduling your appointment if you have any concerns regarding claustrophobia, lying still, require a mechanical lift for transfer to the imaging bed, have a language barrier or any other special needs, so that appropriate arrangements can be made ahead to provide you with the best possible care.

You may experience a small amount of pressure or pain when the needle is placed into the reservoir. Normally this sensation passes in a few minutes.

The injection contains a small amount of radioactive tracer which emits gamma rays (these are similar to X-rays). The radiation dose is very low and will disappear by itself after two days. The results of your scan will give your doctor useful information about your condition and will help them plan your treatment. The benefits of having the scan far outweigh any potential risk from the small radiation dose. 

No special precautions are needed after the scan. If you are travelling across any borders in the seven days after your scan, please ask us for further advice. Border crossings and airports have very sensitive radiation detectors which may pick up tiny amounts of radioactivity remaining after your scan. We will give you a letter that you can show to customs officials at border crossings or airports. 

Please tell us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

A specially trained doctor will examine the results of your test. This is normally done soon after the end of the test. A report is then sent to the doctor who asked us to do the test. Your doctor will normally receive the report within one week. You will also have access to the report on MyChart as soon as it is released. 

If you have questions about the scan results or report, please contact your doctor directly. They are best able to interpret the report for you. 

No. This test is paid for by the healthcare system. The test costs several hundred dollars, so please notify the department at 613-761-4831 if you cannot make your appointment. 

If you cannot make your appointment, it is important that you notify the department at 613-761-4831 as soon as possible. Failure to make your appointment results in wasting of expensive materials that are ordered especially for your appointment and also reduces availability to other patients. Missed appointments may also result in delays of your treatments.