Radiology/Imaging

Breast Imaging

The Breast Care Center offers the following diagnostic and imaging services:

• Mammography
• 3D Digital Mammography (Breast Tomosynthesis)
• Digital Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
• Ultrasound and MRI Guided Breast Biopsy
• Breast Biopsy with Needle Localization
• CAD (Computer aided Detection)
• Breast Ultrasound

Cardiovascular imaging
Cardiovascular imaging (cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging or cardiac MRI) is used to assess the function and structure of the cardiovascular system.

Computed Tomography (CT)
A traditional CT scan is an x-ray procedure that combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views of the body. CT scans are performed in a variety of examinations including cardiac CT, coronary CT angiogram, and calcium-score screening heart scans.

DEXA Bone Densitometry
The most accurate test available for detecting bone diseases is dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). This test, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes, measures the bone loss in the hips and spine. It also helps doctors determine the rate of bone loss, as well as predict the risk of fracture.

Digital Fluoroscopy
Digital fluoroscopy is a form of x-ray that allows us to view deep structures of the body in real time. It provides very detailed images of function and structure of areas like the intestines, the bladder, the cardiac muscle and stomach. Unlike regular x-rays that record the image to film, digital fluoroscopy records a series of images to a computer. Once digitized, we can view the area being examined in real time on a computer monitor.

Digital Mammography (The Lorad Selenia)
This full-field digital mammography system combines the latest advances in technology with sophisticated information management capabilities to provide highly accurate and efficient mammography exams. This version utilizes the most recent digital mammography (second generation), which does not require light, but rather a direct transfer of information, resulting in clearer images. This unique capability exposes areas of breast tissue that can sometimes be too dense for viewing.

General Radiology
General radiology relies on the use of X-rays, which emit a small amount of radiation to create an image of the structures within the body, including the heart, lungs, blood vessels and bones. During an x-ray, a focused beam of radiation is passed through your body, and a black-and-white image is recorded on special film or a computer.

Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiologists are specially trained physicians who use these techniques to treat disorders in veins and arteries in combination with sophisticated imaging techniques, such as fluoroscopy, CT, MRI and/or ultrasound. For many conditions, interventional radiology can offer a minimally invasive and less costly alternative to surgery. In addition, these procedures typically require shorter hospital stays and allow patients to recover and return to their normal daily activities faster than patients who have undergone surgery.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging produces very clear pictures, or images, of the human body without the use of x-rays. MRI produced these images using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer.

Wide-Bore 3.0 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging
The most powerful magnetic resonance imaging scanner available, the 3T MRI, produces the clearest images possible of the human anatomy, thus improving diagnostic accuracy. Tesla refers to the strength of the magnet within the scanner. The 3T is twice as powerful as the previous scanner on the market and has roughly 60,000 times the strength of the Earth's magnetic field.

Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear imaging is a method of producing images by detecting radiation from different parts of the body after a radioactive tracer material is administered. The images are recorded on computer and on film. The nuclear imaging physician studies the images to make a diagnosis.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
A PET CT scan is a unique imaging test that helps doctors look at organs and tissues by measuring emissions from positron-emitting molecules. PET CTs show molecular function and activity, rather than the structure of the body part being scanned, and therefore can often differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. PET CTs also produce 3-D images, and can be used to complement rather than replace the information obtained from standard CT or MRI scan.

Ultrasound
Ultrasound, also known as sonography, or ultrasonography, is a diagnostic procedure that transmits high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, through body tissues. The echoes are recorded and transformed into video or photographic images of the internal structures of the body. Ultrasound exams are performed for a wide range of reasons, including obstetrics and gynecological disorders and abdominal, renal, and pelvic conditions.