CT Scan in Pokhara — 192-Slice High Resolution CT at KDRC

What is a CT scan?

A CT scan (computed tomography, also called a CAT scan) is a fast, painless imaging test that uses X-rays and a computer to build detailed cross-sectional pictures of the inside of the body. For anyone looking for a CT scan in Pokhara, Kaligandaki Diagnostic and Research Center (KDRC) at Amarsingh Chowk performs it on a 192-slice high-resolution Siemens CT scanner. Many patients in Nepal call it a "सिटी स्क्यान" or simply a "city scan".

During the scan, an X-ray tube and a ring of detectors rotate around you while the table moves slowly through a wide, open ring. The computer turns these measurements into thin image "slices". It can also stack them into 3D views of bones, organs and blood vessels. CT shows organs, bones, soft tissue and blood vessels in far more detail than a plain X-ray. That detail can sometimes remove the need for exploratory surgery.

CT is used to diagnose disease and injury, to plan and guide procedures such as image-guided biopsy, and to check how well a treatment such as cancer therapy is working. Most CT scans are outpatient tests, so you go home the same day.

What does a 192-slice CT scanner mean?

A 192-slice CT scanner is a high-end machine that captures a large number of very thin image slices in each rotation, so it covers more of the body in less time. The "slice" number describes how much data the detector collects at once. Older machines in many centres capture 16 or 64 slices.

For patients, more slices bring practical benefits:

• Shorter scan time. Many examinations are complete in seconds, which helps children, elderly patients and anyone in pain.
• Shorter breath-holds. Chest and abdominal scans need you to hold your breath only briefly, which reduces blurring.
• Finer detail. Thin slices let radiologists see small structures such as lung nodules, fine fractures and small blood vessels.
• Better vessel and heart imaging. Speed matters for CT angiography, where images must be taken while contrast dye passes through the arteries.
• Dose-saving options. Modern scanners can tailor the X-ray dose to your body size and the question being asked.

KDRC's 192-slice Siemens CT is one of very few scanners of its class in the country. It means patients in Kaski and the wider Gandaki Province can have advanced CT in Pokhara rather than travelling to Kathmandu.

Why is a CT scan done?

Doctors order a CT scan when they need a quick, detailed answer about what is happening inside the head, chest, abdomen, spine, bones or blood vessels. Common reasons include:

• Head injury, suspected bleeding in the brain or stroke symptoms
• Severe or unusual headache, sinus disease and some ear problems
• Persistent cough, shortness of breath or an abnormal chest X-ray
• Pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis and interstitial lung disease
• Abdominal pain, kidney stones, appendicitis and problems of the liver, pancreas or bowel
• Complex fractures, spine injury and planning orthopaedic surgery
• Finding, staging and following up cancer
• Injuries after road accidents or falls, where internal bleeding must be ruled out quickly

The table below shows the most common CT examinations, what each looks for and whether contrast dye is usually needed.

Your doctor decides which examination you need. If your doctor writes only "CT" on the request, our radiologists will check the clinical question and choose the right protocol.

Types of CT scan available at KDRC

KDRC offers plain CT, contrast-enhanced CT, high-resolution CT (HRCT), CT angiography and CT-guided procedures on the same 192-slice scanner.

Plain (non-contrast) CT

A plain CT uses no dye. It is the usual first test for head injury, suspected stroke, kidney stones, sinus disease and fractures. It needs little or no preparation.

Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)

A contrast CT uses an iodine-based dye injected into a vein in your arm. Sometimes you also drink an oral contrast. The dye makes blood vessels, organs and abnormal tissue such as tumours or abscesses stand out more clearly.

HRCT (high-resolution CT) of the chest

HRCT is a chest CT with very thin slices and special reconstruction to show the fine structure of the lungs. Chest physicians use it for interstitial lung disease, bronchiectasis and unexplained long-term breathlessness. Patients searching for "HRCT in Pokhara" can have it at KDRC on the same scanner.

Low-dose CT

Low-dose chest CT uses much less radiation than a standard chest CT, and in some cases the dose can be reduced by 65% or more. It is used where the clinical question allows it, for example in follow-up of known lung nodules.

CT angiography and CT-guided procedures

CT angiography maps arteries and veins and has its own page: CT angiography in Pokhara. CT can also guide a needle precisely during a biopsy or FNAC of deep lesions.

How to prepare for a CT scan

Most plain CT scans need no special preparation, while contrast CT scans usually need a few hours of fasting and some health questions answered in advance. Follow the instructions our team gives you when you book. The table below summarises typical preparation.

A few general tips apply to every CT scan in Pokhara:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothes without metal zips, hooks or buttons. You may be asked to change into a gown.
• Leave jewellery, hair clips and coins at home or remove them before the scan.
• Keep taking your usual medicines unless your doctor or our team tells you otherwise.
• If you feel anxious, tell the staff. You can usually bring a family member with you to the centre.
• If you have had a reaction to contrast dye before, tell your doctor. Medicine can sometimes be given beforehand, or a different test chosen.

What happens during a CT scan?

A CT scan is a short, painless test in which you lie still on a table that moves through the scanner ring while a technologist watches and talks to you from the control room. The steps below show a typical visit.

If contrast is injected, you may feel a warm or flushed sensation, a metallic taste, or a feeling that you need to pass urine. These feelings usually pass within a minute or two. The scanner ring is wide and open, not a tunnel, so most people who dislike small spaces cope well. The scan itself usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. After a contrast injection you may be asked to wait for up to 30 minutes so staff can make sure you feel well.

You can usually eat, drink, drive and return to normal activities straight after a CT scan, because no sedation is used for adults. Drinking extra water after a contrast scan helps the kidneys clear the dye, which leaves the body in your urine.

Is a CT scan safe? Radiation and contrast explained

A CT scan is safe for most people when it is medically justified, because the benefit of an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the small risk from radiation. CT uses ionising radiation, which may slightly increase lifetime cancer risk, mainly when many scans add up over time. Doctors therefore order CT only when it will answer a real clinical question.

Radiation dose is measured in millisieverts (mSv). The chart below compares typical adult doses with the natural background radiation everyone receives, about 3 mSv per year.

The table gives the same figures with an everyday comparison.

Actual doses vary with body size, the scan protocol and the reason for imaging. Thin patients and children receive much lower doses when settings are adjusted for them.

Contrast dye safety

Serious allergic reactions to iodine-based contrast are extremely rare, and CT teams are trained and equipped to treat them. Mild reactions such as itching or a rash can occur. Contrast can strain kidneys that already work poorly, so we ask about kidney disease and diabetes, and a creatinine blood test may be requested. If the dye leaks under the skin at the injection site, tell the technologist at once.

Sudden weakness of the face, arm or leg, slurred speech, a sudden severe headache, or a serious head injury needs emergency care at a hospital now, not a booked appointment. After a contrast scan, get help immediately if you develop breathing difficulty, swelling of the face or throat, or a widespread rash.

CT scan in pregnancy, for children and for older patients

CT is avoided in pregnancy unless it is medically necessary, and children have CT only when it is essential, using child-sized low-dose settings.

Pregnancy

Always tell your doctor and our staff if you are, or might be, pregnant. Ultrasound or MRI is often preferred when it can answer the same question, because neither uses X-rays. When CT is truly needed, for example after serious trauma, the radiologist adjusts the scan to keep the dose to the baby as low as possible.

Breastfeeding

Contrast manufacturers advise pausing breastfeeding for 24 to 48 hours after an injection. However, the amount of contrast that reaches the baby through breast milk is extremely low. Discuss the choice with your doctor; you can express milk beforehand if you prefer to pause.

Children

Children are more sensitive to radiation than adults and have more years ahead for any effect to appear. Paediatric scans must use paediatric settings, and repeat scans are avoided unless necessary. Fast 192-slice scanning helps young children because the scan is over before they become restless. Ultrasound or MRI may be suggested first where suitable.

Older patients and people with kidney disease

Older patients often benefit from the speed of CT. Please bring a recent kidney function test if you have kidney disease or diabetes and need a contrast scan.

CT vs MRI vs ultrasound: which test do you need?

CT is best for speed, bones, lungs, bleeding and injuries, MRI is best for soft tissue such as the brain, spine, joints and pelvis, and ultrasound is best for a radiation-free first look at organs and pregnancy. The comparison below helps you understand why your doctor picked one test.

KDRC offers all three under one roof, including an open-type MRI and HD ultrasound, so your doctor can choose freely.

When will I get my CT scan report?

Your CT images are interpreted by a consultant radiologist, who writes a report for your doctor; our team will tell you when to collect it. Simple studies are usually reported sooner than complex cancer-staging or multi-region scans. If your doctor marked the request urgent, tell reception at registration so the study can be prioritised.

Your report explains the findings in medical terms. Your referring doctor will explain what it means for you and plan the next step. Please bring previous CT, MRI or X-ray films and reports. Comparing old and new images often makes the conclusion clearer. Hospitals and clinics outside Pokhara can also send CT studies to KDRC for expert reading through our teleradiology service.

How much does a CT scan cost in Pokhara?

The CT scan price in Pokhara depends on which part of the body is scanned and whether contrast dye is needed, so KDRC quotes each examination individually. The main factors are:

• Body region. A single region such as the head costs less than chest, abdomen and pelvis together.
• Plain or contrast. Contrast scans include the dye, an IV cannula and extra staff time.
• Special protocols. HRCT, 3D reconstructions and CT angiography need more processing.
• Procedures. CT-guided biopsy or FNAC includes the procedure itself.

For the current CT scan cost, call 061-553538 or 9856077433 (also on Viber) with your doctor's request. Our team will tell you the price and any preparation before you travel.

Why choose KDRC for a CT scan in Pokhara?

KDRC combines a 192-slice high-resolution Siemens CT, one of very few in the country, with reporting by experienced consultant radiologists, all at one centre in Pokhara.

• Advanced scanner. Fast, high-detail imaging for head, chest, abdomen, spine, bones and vessels.
• Consultant radiologists. CT studies are reported by Dr. Bishworaj Bastakoti and Dr. Nawaraj Paudel, consultant radiologists at KDRC since its inception. Both trained in radiology residency programmes in Manila, are members of the Nepal Radiologist Society and have been registered with the Nepal Medical Council as radiologists since 2016. Read more on our doctors page.
• Everything in one place. CT, MRI, ultrasound, Doppler, biopsy and FNAC are in the same building.
• Help for referring hospitals. Studies can be sent for reporting through teleradiology.
• Ambulance support. KDRC runs an ambulance service for patients who cannot travel safely on their own.

How to reach KDRC and book your CT scan

KDRC is on Shantipath, Amarsingh Chowk, Pokhara-10, Kaski, a short ride from Lakeside, Mahendrapul and Prithvi Chowk. Ask any taxi for "Amarsingh Chowk" and look for the CT signage on the building.

To book, call 061-553538 or 9856077433, email kaligandaki.dc@gmail.com, or use our online appointment form. Bring your doctor's request, your previous reports and films, and a list of your medicines. If you are coming from outside Pokhara, call ahead so we can confirm your slot and preparation. Services at KDRC are available any day of the week, but please call to confirm before you travel. Browse all diagnostic services to see what else can be arranged on the same visit.