There are a few guidelines for preparing for a thermal scan:
- Do not have physical therapy, massage, or electromyography on the same day thermography is performed
- Do not smoke for 2 hours before the test
- Do not use lotions, deodorants, or liniments on day of test
- Stay out of strong sunlight on the day of test
There are no dietary or medication restrictions on the day of your scan.
When you arrive, you will fill in some forms while your body is acclimating to the temperature in the office.
Once your skin temperature has stabilized, a series of infrared images of your skin will be taken by the camera. Barbara will guide you in the proper positions for the images. Remember that the infrared camera is similar to a standard camera in that nothing is coming out of the camera toward you, it is passively making an image from the light (in this case, infrared) coming off your body.
Once the images have been taken, you will put your gown back on and the thermographer will review the images with you before they are sent off to the physicians to be interpreted. The turnaround is generally under one week and you (and the physician you designate) will receive the interpretation along with the images.
Breast screening should begin with 2 breast studies 3 months apart to establish a baseline, then a single breast study annually. Remember that this is a test of physiology, so we're watching for changes in blood flow and need to establish that everything is stable.
Pricing:
1 region (head, torso, etc.): $180
Breast screening baseline (2 studies 3 months apart): $230 (annual studies after this are 1 region tests)
Full body exam: $380 (includes a second breast study 3 months later to establish a baseline if not done yet)
Payment made be made by credit card, check or cash. At this time, we do not know of any insurance that pays for thermography (despite CPT codes for it: 93760, 93762), but you may be able to use your medical savings plan for it. If your insurance pays for thermography, please let us know.
