FAQ

No, these are both value added services which are included in the cost of the Scan.

Even if you decide not to have a Scan after the initial consultation, no charge is incurred.

The targeted Scans such as the Coronary artery CT Angiogram Scan, Virtual Colonoscopy Scan, Lung Scan, Neck and Brain CT Angiogram Scans etc., are medically beneficial when applied appropriately – i.e when significant risk factors are present.

These Scans are now being performed routinely by the Ivy League Medical Institutions in the USA and all other first world countries.

CT Scans expose you to X-rays in order to generate the incredible images. The CT Scanner produces identical rays as conventional X-rays, but in greater amounts. This is not the same as radio-activity, and you will not in any way become radio-active.

Our MR Scans do not expose you to X-rays / radiation at all (the MRI scanner utilises magnetic fields only).

We are all exposed to radiation every day of our lives from the earth’s surface and from space. This natural radiation measures 3-5 millisieverts (mSv) per year. The limit established for radiation workers such as Physicians and X-ray technologists is 50 mSv per year. The approximate effective X-ray doses of the scans are 0.5-7 mSv. At these levels, the risk to you is absolutely minimal when compared with other every day risks. What is the exact risk? High levels of radiation may cause cancer, however at the much lower levels from X-rays with CT scanning; the association is unclear and theoretical. There are no randomized, controlled trials indicating that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not. There are no case-control studies indicating that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not. There are no cohort studies indicating that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not. There are no observational studies indicating that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not. There are no case reports suggesting that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not. Because none of the above exists in the form of randomized trials, there is no meta-analysis data indicating that people who have had CT scan(s) have a higher risk of cancer than those who have not.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) states that the risks of medical imaging at effective doses below 50 mSv for single procedures or 100 mSv for multiple procedures over short time periods are too low to be detectable and may be non-existent. Predictions of hypothetical cancer incidence and deaths in patient populations exposed to such low doses are highly speculative and should be discouraged. We know that the diagnostic power of CT scanning saves lives from many serious diseases, including cancers.

Scan For Life® utilises the latest CT Scanner technology, and practices low-dose and ultra-low-dose Scanning techniques and protocols, in order to limit X-ray dose exposure as much as possible. Furthermore, most of these Scans are once-off or at most required once every three to five years.

Scan For Life® also recommends scanning from 40 – 45 years of age upwards, in individuals with significant co-existing medical risk factors, to avoid X-ray exposure to younger adults.

Yes, our Medical Specialist Doctor will provide you with an international best practice recommendations, but not treatment.

Scan for Life® will refer you back to your own health professional of choice, or if you do not have one, Scan For Life® has a comprehensive referral network of various Medical Specialists and General Practitioners for further evaluation and management.

For elective scans, the results will be available within one to two weeks after the scans have been performed. If results are required urgently, the Doctor will endeavour to complete the report more timeously. If referred by a Medical Doctor / Specialist the report will be available within 24 to 48 hours after the scans.

The full report package will be available at this time, comprising a hard-copy report and digital CD-ROM report, which may be delivered to your requested address or an elected health professional.

For self referred clients, you are advised to collect the report package directly from Scan For Life and meet with the medical specialist personally at an interactive report-back consultation on the 3D workstation.

The report may also be digitally transmitted world-wide.

Scan For Life® is the first and original preventative Scanning Medical Centre in South Africa. Scan For Life® originally launched  the scanning technology and Preventative Scans in South Africa in 2003.

Scan For Life® has since developed an ethical and credible brand of excellence having performed thousands of successful scans.

Scan For Life’s ®  Doctors are the highly trained and experienced Medical Specialists, having trained at leading Medical Institiutions internationally. Scan For Life® is now recognised as an International Training Site for Cardiac Imaging and Virtual Colonoscopies.

Scan For Life® performs Targeted Scans on various vital organs depending on your particular medical risk factors. Scan For Life® screens responsibly and appropriately, complying with international best medical protocols. Scan For Life® practices low-dose and ultra-low-dose CT Scanning techniques and protocols in order to limit X-ray dose exposure as much as possible. Scan For Life® does not recommend the non-specific Whole (Total) Body CT Scan as performed at other centres.

Scan for Life® is the Scan provider of choice for many corporates including Discovery WellPoint.

At present there are no other Scan For Life® Centres. Other centres may have a similar name, but they are NOT genuine Scan For Life® Centres.

No, the Scans are not painful and not claustrophobic at all, since the Scanner table moves through a wide and completely open ring (Gantry) and not a tunnel.

For certain Scans a standard IV line is required for the administration of a safe Contrast Agent (“X-Ray dye”).

For the Virtual Colonoscopy Scan, colonic insufflation with Carbon Dioxide is uncomfortable at most, and rarely painful.

The actual Scans are performed rapidly during a breath-hold – less than 12 seconds per Scan.

You may however lie on the scanner table from 10 minutes to half an hour while scan preparations are made and the scan is assessed.

Your entire visit to Scan For Life™ should be less than an hour at most.

The Scan For Life® Virtual Colonoscopy Scan is a non-invasive, rapid, convenient and safe. It is performed during a quick visit on a specialised CT scanner – the actual Scan is performed during two short breath-holds.

There is no Scope pipe insertion into the rectum and colon or Barium liquid administration.There is no needle or IV line, no Anaesthetic / Sedative drugs; and no hospitalisation or in-patient observation. You are able to drive and resume work immediately after the Scan with no residual discomfort.

Furthermore, all the other abdominal and pelvic organs are assessed on the Scan at the same time.

The only requirement is a mild and safe bowel preparation the day before the Scan, in order to cleanse the colon. This is does not require large fluid volumes or harsh laxatives. During the scan, a small amount of harmless CO2 gas is introduced into the colon via a thin  tube inserted just into the anus, which allows gentle temporary distension of the colon. The process is uncomfortable at most.

The Scan For Life® Angiogram Scan is non-invasive, rapid, convenient and safe. It is performed during a quick visit on a specialised CT scanner – the actual Scan is performed during a single breath-hold.

There is no skin incision or catheter insertion into the arteries or heart, no Anaesthetic / Sedative drugs; and no hospitalisation or in-patient observation. You are able to drive and resume work immediately after the Scan with no residual discomfort.

The Scans vary in price according to the type of Scan and the number of Scans you are having.

The price is fully inclusive. It includes VAT, the initial consultation, all preparation materials, the Scans, the post-scan report back consultation, the hard-copy & digital report package, report delivery; and any required Physician referral.

Fees range from two thousand Rand to several thousand Rand. The exact fees are available directly from Scan For Life™.

No, a Physician’s referral is not necessary. You may refer yourself to be assessed by Scan For Life’s® own Specialist Doctors or associated Medical Practitioners.

You will complete a confidential medical questionaire and then discuss the appropriate Scan For Life® Scan options with one of our Medical Specialists, or with a Health Professional who is familiar with the new Preventative Imaging technology.

You contact Scan For Life® and may visit one of our consultants or Medical Specialists at our facility to discuss the medically recommended Scan options and then decide which Scans are most appropriate for you.

Scan For Life® can be contacted on +27(0)11-447-5669 or +27(0)82-388-0929 or via  info@scanforlife.co.za

The medical experts at Scan For Life® recommend the appropriate targeted Scans to complete the executive medical or routine medical exam.

The stress ECG (treadmill exercise stress test) and chest X-ray are far less accurate than the Scan For Life® Scans.

These Scans are the most accurate non-invasive method for imaging Dread Diseases in the early treatable stages.

The Scans detect early tumour growths – nodules, benign tumours (cysts and benign swellings), and Cancers.

They are particularly appropriate for the earliest Colon, Rectal and Lung cancers, which may be as small as a few millimeters in size (smaller than a grain of rice) and resectable (curable).

If the scan detects such an abnormality, it is up to you, the Specialist doctor reading your Scan, and your Physician to decide if you should have any further tests to confirm whether or not the abnormality is in fact cancerous.

The serious diseases most commonly encountered in the early stages are Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Disease), various Cancers (Colon, Rectum, Lung) and Cerebro Vascular Disease (Stroke Disease). A spectrum of other silent life-threatening conditions including Aneurysms, artery narrowings & occlusions, hernias etc.

The Heart For Life Scans – your coronary arteries and heart.

The Colon For Life Scan – your large bowel (colon and rectum), and the abdomen + pelvic organs.

The Lung For Life Scan – your lungs and chest organs.

The Brain For Life Scans – your neck and brain arteries, and the brain itself.

The Women For Life Scans – your pelvic organs.

Medically proactive and wellness aware men and women from the ages of 40 onwards, if there are two or more further risk factors – family history, medical conditions (elevated cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, diabetes etc), smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and mental stress.

With the annual Medical Examination always in mind, many individuals elect to have these Scans as a highly accurate Executive Medical.

Scan For Life® is situated in the Rosebank Hospital  in Johannesburg, south africa only.

The address is 14 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg.

At present there are no other Scan For Life® sites. Other centres may have a similar name, but they are NOT genuine Scan For Life® Centres.

Preventative Imaging is the specialised Radiological field which detects Dread or serious Disease (Heart Disease, Cancers, Stroke etc.) in non-symptomatic and apparently healthy individuals in the early treatable stages; utilising advanced, non-invasive Medical Scanning technology.

This has only become possible recently with the development of the latest generation 3D CT and MRI Scanners.

Scan For Life™ is the first and original Preventative Imaging Medical Centre in South Africa.