Diagnostic Imaging
The diagnostic imaging department is home to a 32-Slice Volume Computed Tomography (VCT) from GE Healthcare. The LightSpeed replaces the older CT technology previously used at Southwest Regional. The VCT offers an innovative way for physicians to obtain fast, highly accurate information needed to diagnose disease and life-threatening illnesses. This includes such things as cardiovascular disease, stroke and chest pain.
The VCT is able to capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, an organ in one second, and perform whole body trauma in ten seconds. This is more than twice as fast as a conventional CT scanner. This speed is especially helpful in shortening breath holds for geriatric patients, patients who are on ventilators and pediatric patients.
A Computed Tomography Angiogram (CTA), one type of testing completed by the VCT, is an advanced cardiac test which is a non-invasive evaluation of the heart’s anatomy and function and provides an alternative to cardiac catheterization, which is a surgical procedure. A CTA uses advanced CT technology, along with special dye, to obtain high-resolution, three-dimensional photos of the moving heart and vessels. These photos allow physicians to determine whether plaque or calcium deposits are present on the walls of the arteries. In simpler terms, this test provides a way for doctors to detect blockages, without surgery.
The diagnostic imaging department encompasses a full range of services including mammography, nuclear medicine, bone density, x-ray, ultrasound, CAT scan, PET scan and MRI services. The department is certified by the American College of Radiology, who awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in their field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of the facility equipment.
The diagnostic imaging department also has on staff, Dr. Harry Adam Patton, who specializes in interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments performed using imaging guidance. Interventional radiology procedures often replace open surgical procedures.
For more information call (724) 627-2622.
Jeanne M. Bell, RTR, RDMS, is the Director of the Diagnostic Imaging Department. She can be reached at either 724-627-2520 or at jeanne.bell@sw-rmc.com.