Radiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the use of X-rays and other means to create images of the body. Interventional radiology is a subspecialty of radiology that was created as technology advanced the ability of radiologists to see inside the body. It involves diagnosis and treatment using minimally invasive non-surgical guided imaging, and is sometimes referred to as image-guided surgery.

The Procedures
Interventional radiology uses X-rays, fluoroscopy (moving “movie-like” X-ray images), computed tomography (X-ray scans that show cross sectional images), and other imaging technologies to guide a catheter or needle in the body to diagnose or treat a condition by non-surgical means. Many procedures that once required surgery can today be performed using this type of medicine, including angioplasty and stent placement, and biopsy, along with the treatment of varicose veins, uterine fibroids, some cancers, and other conditions. Interventional radiology is even sometimes an option for infants and children in cases of angiography, biopsy, the insertion of feeding tubes and other procedures.

The Benefits
Interventional radiology procedures are often an alternative to traditional surgical procedures. Beyond sometimes being a viable option for someone who is not a healthy candidate for traditional surgery, minimally invasive interventional radiology procedures offer other benefits. Many times, a procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis and doesn’t require a long hospital stay. Procedures are often performed using local numbing and sedation medicines instead of general anesthesia. The patient is at less risk, experiences less pain, and recovers more quickly than in a traditional surgery scenario.

Insurance Coverage
While interventional radiology procedures involve the use of advanced technologies, they are often covered by insurance plans unless they are so new and/or rare that they’re considered experimental. To learn the specifics of your insurance coverage, be sure to speak with a member services representative.

Medical advances are creating new and innovative diagnostic and treatment options each and every day. Interventional radiology is a byproduct of research and a dedication to better health outcomes. We offer a full array of radiology services here at University Hospital and Medical Center in Tamarac. Visit us online or call 1-866-442-2362 to find out more about how we can help you.

Sources:

Society of Interventional Radiology
Life Bridge Health

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Better Images Half the Hassle

An accurate and timely diagnosis is one of the deciding factors between a positive outcome and a medical nightmare. To help our patients sleep soundly, we invest in a combination of the best medical practitioners and the latest and most advanced medical equipment. When experienced doctors are able to use better equipment, the treatment improves and the patient benefits every time. Our commitment to our patients and to providing high-quality medical care led us to invest in an advanced new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

The Signa HDxt 1.5 MRI machine from GE Healthcare is one of the most advanced diagnostic imaging tools available. MRI machines are extremely useful pieces of medical equipment. They use magnetic fields, as opposed to radiation, to create accurate images of the inside of the body. This image allows your doctor to identify problems that may exist within your body without having to perform any type of surgery or other invasive test.

Traditional MRI

While extremely useful tools, traditional MRI machines produce lower resolution images and require a lot of cooperation between the patient and the medical provider. If the patient moves–or even breathes too heavily–during the MRI process, the image can be blurred and lose clarity. This can become an issue when the patient in need of an MRI is an energetic child or an elderly adult who has difficulty lying exactly still. Even in cases where the patient is completely idle, internal organs may move, thereby degrading the quality of the image. This often leads to longer assessment periods, which require the patient to lie on an examination table that is positioned inside of the MRI machine. Some patients do not like lying on the table inside the machine for extended periods of time. However the combination of movement and image quality of traditional MRIs necessitates taking multiple images to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

Signa HDxt 1.5T MRI

With technological advancements come many improvements. One of the more notable additions to this machine is that it produces images of the inside of the body in high definition. Just like your favorite television programs are crisper and easier to evaluate in high definition, so are MRIs. A better quality image allows your physician to better diagnose and treat anything that she might find, whether that be a tiny problem with a single artery, or a larger tumor in your lung. The HDxt 1.5T also has some other benefits that make it a superior MRI machine:

• The opening of the “portal” that the patient lies in is larger, a full 60cm, making the machine less stifling for patients who are not comfortable in small spaces.
• The examination table that the patient lies on is larger, allowing a more comfortable diagnostic experience.
• The new technology compensates for movement, permitting the machine to take better pictures in less time, resulting in significantly shorter examination periods. A machine that counters the effects of body movement makes this MRI machine the clear choice for:
  • Diagnosing head injuries
  • Creating accurate images of the limbs including the feet
  • Taking images of the abdomen, which requires patients to hold their breath

This new equipment is currently in use and available to all patients who seek the high level of medical care that is offered at University Hospital and Medical Center in Tamarac. We invite residents from North Lauderdale and Coral Springs to find out more about our exceptional diagnostic imaging capabilities. If you are in need of a free physician referral, feel free to call Consult-A-Nurse® at 1-866-442-2362 and speak to a registered nurse today.

Sources:
GE Healthcare
Radiologyinfo.org

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CAT Scans 101

Have you ever heard of computerized axial tomography? Probably not, but if we said “CAT scan” that might ring a bell. CAT Scans are one of the many diagnostic tools available at University Hospital and Medical Center. We have found that the more people know about the high tech equipment that we use to provide medical care, the more comfortable they are when they come in as patients. In that spirit we are going to talk about one of our very useful pieces of technology.

Uses for CAT Scans

CAT Scans are diagnostic tools. That means that we use them to evaluate patients to see what particular medical condition is ailing them. CAT Scans can help physicians to diagnose many medical issues and provide clear pictures of medical conditions such as:

• Fractured Bones
• Internal Bleeding
• Cancer
• Blood Clots
• Heart Disease

A CAT Scan lets doctors see what is going on inside the body without using procedures that involve entering the body with medical equipment. This means that CAT Scans are non-invasive diagnostic procedures. Non-invasive procedures generally allow patients to be more comfortable while still providing doctors the information they need to provide medical care. After a CAT Scan has been performed, doctors have a much better idea about what is bothering a patient and where exactly in the body the condition has developed.

How CAT Scans Work

CAT scans use radiation technology to create pictures of the body. It is the same technology that is used in x-rays, just taken up a level. The x-rays penetrate the body and allow the CAT Scan to create a picture that clearly differentiates bone from tissue and organs. The machine moves across the patient’s body or body part and takes multiple individual pictures by sending out x-rays. The individual pictures, sometimes called slices, are then stored in a computer. After the CAT Scan is complete, the computer assembles all of the individual pieces into one very accurate picture of the interior of the body. The image that is produced is then used to identify medical conditions in the patient.

What to Expect

During a CAT scan, the patient must remain very still. If you move you can throw off the final picture and the assessment may need to be done again. You will most likely lay on a table on your stomach, back or side. The machine will move over you as the assessment is performed.

In some cases the doctor will need you to take a “contrast material” before the scan. Contrast material is a substance that, when inside your body, allows the final image that is produced to be clearer. Contrast materials are taken orally, through an enema or intravenously. There is not a significant amount of discomfort associated with contrast materials so don’t worry if your doctor recommends one.

CAT Scans are used in many situations. They can be used in regular or even emergency medical situations because they provide fast, accurate results. They are great medical tools that help doctors make the right diagnoses.

SOURCES
University Hospital and Medical Center Diagnostics
RadiologyInfo.org
Food and Drug Administration
MedLine Plus – National Institute of Health
MedLine Plus – National Institute of Health