HIDA with CCK

Your doctor may order a HIDA Scan with CCK to diagnose problems of the bile ducts, gall bladder and/or liver. HIDA stands for Hepatobiliary IminoDiaceticAcid. The CCK part is CholeCystoKinin, a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. A radioactive tracer injected into your vein travels through the bloodstream to your liver, then with bile into your gallbladder, and through the bile ducts into the small intestine. 

The HIDA Scan with CCK will be used to evaluate your gallbladder function over a period of approximately two hours.  You will lie on an exam table the entire time.  Initially, you will be injected with a radioactive imaging material into a vein in your arm, and you will be imaged for about 45 minutes.  Then, a second injection of Cholecystokinin will be administered, and you will be imaged for another hour or so. The nuclear medicine scanner tracks the tracer from your liver into your gallbladder and small intestines, creating digital images.

There is one injection of a radioactive imaging material into your arm with a HIDA Scan. The scan will take approximately one hour.  Physicians often use this scan to check post cholecystectomy patients of bile leaks, stents, or biliary drainage catheters.

Your doctor will provide you with specific instructions for scan preparation. In general, you should discontinue all pain medications six hours prior to the exam, and have nothing to eat or drink for six hours prior to the exam.

Please have your written physician order and insurance information in hand when scheduling your appointment.  Note: It is very important for you to tell your scheduler if your gallbladder has been removed. 

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