Frequently asked questions

Some frequently asked questions that we hope will answer the questions you have about medical imaging in general. If you don’t find the information you need, please feel free to contact us.

Lake Imaging’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), where we address the most common queries to provide you with quick and accurate answers. We understand that navigating the world of medical imaging and diagnostic services can raise questions, and we’re here to assist you every step of the way. Our FAQ section covers a wide range of topics. Whether you’re a patient, a healthcare provider, or a referring partner, our goal is to ensure transparency and clarity in all aspects of our services.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable team. At Lake Imaging, we prioritise your peace of mind and are committed to providing exceptional care and support to all our visitors. Explore our FAQ page and let us help you make well-informed decisions for your health and well-being.

Yes, we require a referral from an authorised referrer. Authorised referrers are generally doctors or specialists, but dentists, chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists and podiatrists are also authorised to send patients for certain examinations.

Yes, we accept any radiology referral. Unless the referral is specifically addressed to an individual doctor, e.g. Dear Dr Jones.

Please note, some examinations are only performed at particular locations. Here, you will find a location offering the service you require.

X-rays, CT, nuclear medicine and angiography are types of medical imaging scans that use radiation. Radiation is energy that travels as waves and tiny particles through air and some materials.

Each day you are exposed to radiation from natural and artificial sources. Every year, everyone living in Australia receives background radiation that is equivalent to the radiation dose from 50–100 simple chest X-rays.

Medical imaging scans involving radiation can give your doctor important and even life-saving information about your health. But like many things, radiation has risks as well as benefits. Scans involving radiation will only be considered if the result is required for your medical care and the information obtained is not available from other tests that don’t use radiation such as MRI or Ultrasound.

If you have any further concerns, you should discuss this with your doctor.

Diagnostic imaging can be performed during pregnancy if the result is required for your medical care while pregnant and the information obtained is not available from other tests that don’t use radiation such as MRI or Ultrasound.

With modern medical imaging equipment, in conjunction with dose reduction techniques, our Medical Imaging Technologists (MITs) will make every effort to ensure that the radiation dose received by your unborn child is as low as possible, whilst answering your doctor’s clinical concern.

An appointment is required for all examinations including CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, mammography and ultrasound (excluding general and dental x-rays)

You can contact your nearest location to make an appointment or request an appointment online.

If your doctor has given you a printed Lake Imaging referral form, then the practice locations and phone numbers are on the form, additionally the examinations available at each practice. Simply phone your desired practice and one of our friendly staff will schedule an appointment for you. In addition, they will provide details about your examination, parking, directions and any costs.

You can request an appointment online. Afterwards, our staff will contact you to confirm details of your appointment.

Additionally, general and dental x-rays do not require an appointment.

You are allowed to bring a support person to your appointment. However, for safety reasons they aren’t allowed in the examination room. Please note, that children will not be allowed in the room during your examination. Therefore, you’ll need to make arrangements for their supervision prior to your appointment.

One of our radiologists will look over your results after your examination. They will then provide your health professional with a comprehensive report about their findings. After that, you will need to return to your referring health professional to discuss your results. In most cases, your referring practitioner will have your results back in a few days. Be sure to confirm they have received your results prior to your next appointment with them.

If you require your imaging results for a follow-up appointment on the day of your scan, we will endeavour to deliver your results as fast as possible. You are welcome to wait for your results, however, they may take several hours to prepare. If you prefer, we can arrange a later time for you to come back and collect them, prior to your appointment.

Although orthopedic and dental implants are metal, they are not magnetic. These consist of hip and knee replacements, plates, screws, and rods to treat limb fractures, and dental fillings. However, while non-ferrous surgical metal can distort an MRI image, most are safe within the strong magnetic field of an MRI machine, provided it’s been at least 6 weeks since the surgery.

In conclusion, anyone having an MRI must answer a series of safety questions to prevent any problems. The types of metal implants that could be affected by the strong magnetic forces consist of:

  • Pacemakers and heart valves
  • Metal implants in a patient’s brain
  • Metal implants in a patient’s eye or ears
  • Infusion catheters

You can discuss any concerns you have with your radiographer before your MRI test.