Services & Procedures

Fluoroscopy

Fluoroscopy uses X-rays and a medical instrument called a fluoroscope to show, digitize and record real-time moving images of the inside of a patient’s body. Common procedures using fluoroscopy include investigations of blood vessels, organs and the gastrointestinal tract, orthopedic surgery, placements of catheters, pacemakers and feeding tubes, urologic surgery and studies involving barium liquids.

What are some common uses of Fluoroscopy?

Fluoroscopy is used in many types of examinations and procedures, such as barium X-rays, cardiac catheterization, arthrography (visualization of a joint or joints), lumbar puncture, placement of intravenous (IV) catheters (hollow tubes inserted into veins or arteries), intravenous pyelogram, hysterosalpingogram, and biopsies.

How long will the examination take?

It varies depending on the type of fluoroscopy exam you are having done.

How will I prepare for the examination?

For fluoroscopy exams, preparations vary. Please contact the referring provider for specific instructions.

What should I expect during the examination?

Fluoroscopy is generally painless. Depending on the type of fluoroscopic test you undergo, in general you will be asked to lie or stand between the X-ray machine and a fluorescent screen after putting on a gown. An X-ray scanner produces fluoroscopic images of the body part being examined.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI uses a technology called nuclear magnetic resonance to visualize internal structures of the body in detail. The patient lies in an MRI scanner, which can create two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of any part of the body and at any angle.

What are some common uses of MRI?

  • Cancer
  • Heart and vascular disease (cardiac MRI).
  • Stroke
  • Joint and musculoskeletal disorders

How long will the examination take?

  • A single MRI scan can last 25 to 45 minutes or longer.

How will I prepare for the examination?

Before your MRI exam, remove all accessories including hair pins, jewelry, eyeglasses, hearing aids, wigs, dentures. During the exam, these metal objects may interfere with the magnetic field, affecting the quality of the MRI images taken. For MRI scan with sedation or contrast, please contact scheduling for specific instructions.

Notify your technologist if you have:

  • any artificial joints – hip, knee
  • a heart pacemaker, defibrillator or artificial heart valve
  • an intrauterine device (IUD),
  • any metal plates, pins, screws, or surgical staples in your body
  • tattoos and permanent make-up
  • a bullet or shrapnel in your body, or if you ever worked with sheet metal or milling.
  • if you might be pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant.
  • if you are claustrophobic. Some patients are more comfortable with the use of a sedative
  • If you have ever done any welding or grinding with metals, for your safety, a X-ray will be completed prior to your MRI scan to ensure that your eyes are free of metal debris.

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. If you have ever done any welding or grinding with metals, for your safety, a X-ray will be completed prior to your MRI scan to ensure that your eyes are free of metal debris.

During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the MRI scanner, which is not enclosed. You will be asked to be still during the scan. You can expect to hear knocking and buzzing sounds during the scan. Even though the technologist must leave the room, you will be able to communicate with them at any time using an intercom. If contrast material is used, it will be injected through an intravenous line.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results. If you would like to obtain a copy of your results, you may request a copy from your referring provider or by contacting the facility in which you had the test performed.

Bone Density Scan (DEXA)

DEXA scans are used primarily to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). This makes it an excellent choice in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

What are some common uses of a Bone Density Scan?

DEXA is most often used to diagnose osteoporosis and also assess an individual’s risk for developing fractures.

How long will the examination take?

A DEXA scan typically takes 10 to 30 minutes.

How will I prepare for the examination?

On the day of the exam you may eat normally. You should not take calcium supplements for at least 48 hours before your exam.

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. You will be asked to lie down on a padded table.

During the exam, an imaging device, located above and below the examination table, will be slowly passed over and under the area being examined, generating images on a computer monitor.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Computerized Tomography (CT)

CT (computed tomography), also called a CAT scan, uses x-ray and computers to produce cross-sectional images of the body.

What are some common uses of CT?

  • Locating internal bleeding and organ damage in trauma patients.
  • Detecting stroke, and determining whether it is caused by arterial blockage or bleeding into the brain.
  • Detecting and staging tumors of various body parts.
  • Diagnosis and analysis of fractures and other bone abnormalities, especially if complex.
  • Detecting deep abscesses and sources of infection.
  • Detecting urinary stone disease.
  • Performing non-invasive blood vessel imaging (CT angiography).
  • Planning radiation therapy treatment fields.
  • Guiding needle biopsies and drainage procedures.

How long will the examination take?

  • Locating internal bleeding and organ damage in trauma patients.
  • Detecting stroke, and determining whether it is caused by arterial blockage or bleeding into the brain.
  • Detecting and staging tumors of various body parts.
  • Diagnosis and analysis of fractures and other bone abnormalities, especially if complex.
  • Detecting deep abscesses and sources of infection.
  • Detecting urinary stone disease.
  • Performing non-invasive blood vessel imaging (CT angiography).
  • Planning radiation therapy treatment fields.
  • Guiding needle biopsies and drainage procedures.

How will I prepare for the examination?

  • Locating internal bleeding and organ damage in trauma patients.
  • Detecting stroke, and determining whether it is caused by arterial blockage or bleeding into the brain.
  • Detecting and staging tumors of various body parts.
  • Diagnosis and analysis of fractures and other bone abnormalities, especially if complex.
  • Detecting deep abscesses and sources of infection.
  • Detecting urinary stone disease.
  • Performing non-invasive blood vessel imaging (CT angiography).
  • Planning radiation therapy treatment fields.
  • Guiding needle biopsies and drainage procedures.

What should I expect during the examination?

  • Locating internal bleeding and organ damage in trauma patients.
  • Detecting stroke, and determining whether it is caused by arterial blockage or bleeding into the brain.
  • Detecting and staging tumors of various body parts.
  • Diagnosis and analysis of fractures and other bone abnormalities, especially if complex.
  • Detecting deep abscesses and sources of infection.
  • Detecting urinary stone disease.
  • Performing non-invasive blood vessel imaging (CT angiography).
  • Planning radiation therapy treatment fields.
  • Guiding needle biopsies and drainage procedures.

How do I get my results?

  • Locating internal bleeding and organ damage in trauma patients.
  • Detecting stroke, and determining whether it is caused by arterial blockage or bleeding into the brain.
  • Detecting and staging tumors of various body parts.
  • Diagnosis and analysis of fractures and other bone abnormalities, especially if complex.
  • Detecting deep abscesses and sources of infection.
  • Detecting urinary stone disease.
  • Performing non-invasive blood vessel imaging (CT angiography).
  • Planning radiation therapy treatment fields.
  • Guiding needle biopsies and drainage procedures.

X-ray

Medical radiography is the use of X-rays to help identify disease or injury inside the human body. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation that can pass through some solids and liquids.

How long will the examination take?

Traditional bone X-ray examinations take five to 15 minutes

How will I prepare for the examination?

A traditional bone X-ray does not require any preparation

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.

During the exam, you may be asked to lie down on an examination table. However, some procedures allow for sitting or standing.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT

PET/CT is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a 3-D image of functional processes in the body. It is often used to map brain and heart functioning, along with cancer diagnosis and treatment. PET/CT scans are performed on instruments that are combined PET and CT scanners. The combined PET/CT scans provide images that pinpoint the location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. The combined scans have been shown to provide more accurate diagnoses than when the two scans are performed separately.

What are some common uses of PET/CT?

  • to detect cancer
  • to detect skeletal abnormalities
  • to evaluate the heart for:
    • blood flow
    • signs of coronary artery disease
    • heart function
  • Positron Emission Tomography to evaluate the brain for:
    • memory disorders
    • Alzheimer’s disease
    • brain tumors
    • seizure disorders

How long will the examination take?

PET/CT scans use radiotracers as a way to trace specific bodily systems or reactions. It usually takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes for the radiotracer to travel through the body and to be absorbed by the organ or tissue being studied. Scanning then takes an additional 30 to 60 minutes, for a total exam time of about two hours. Please contact the facility if you are scheduled for multiple examinations or scans, as they will vary in length of time.

How will I prepare for the examination?

PET/CT is usually done on an outpatient basis. You should:

  • wear comfortable clothes with little to no metal
  • not eat for four to six hours before your scan
  • not exercise for 24 hours before your scan
  • drink plenty of water
  • consult with your doctor regarding the use of medications before the test
  • diabetic patients should ask for any specific diet guidelines to control glucose levels during the day of the test

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. After you are positioned on an examination table, a nurse or technologist will inject a radiotracer dose into your hand or arm. You will be asked to be still and rest quietly while the radiotracer moves through the body and is absorbed by the organ or tissue being studied.

During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the PET/CT scanner. The table will move slowly through the machine as the PET/CT scan is performed. You will hear buzzing or clicking sounds during the exam. You will be asked to lie very still while the camera is taking pictures.

How do I get my results?

It usually takes one to three days to interpret, report, and deliver the results. In order to facilitate interpretation, you may be asked to bring any outside examinations with you, such as recent CT (CAT) scans or MRI scans.

Ultrasound / Vascular Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. It is used to help diagnose the causes of pain, swelling and infection in the body’s internal organs and to examine a baby in pregnant women and the brain and hips in infants. It’s also used to help guide biopsies, diagnose heart conditions, and assess damage after a heart attack. Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation.

A Doppler vascular ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to obtain a medical image or picture of blood flow through various vessels in the body. Vascular ultrasound produces precise images and measurements of many blood vessels in the body. It is commonly used to image the carotid artery in the neck, or arteries and veins in legs and arms. It can detect diseased vessels and identify a wide variety of changing conditions, enabling your doctor to make a quick and accurate diagnosis.

What are some common uses of Ultrasound/Vascular Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is used to help physicians evaluate symptoms such as:

  • pain
  • swelling
  • infection

How long will the examination take?

Traditional ultrasound scan usually takes 15 to 30 minutes.

How will I prepare for the examination?

Ultrasound examination preparations vary. Please contact your referring provider for specific instructions.

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.

Most ultrasound scans require the patient to lie face-up on an examination table. A clear water-based gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help a device called a transducer make secure contact with the body. An ultrasound technologist or radiologist will press the transducer firmly against the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area to be examined. Images are sent to a computer monitor, where they can be evaluated immediately.

 

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is a safe and painless way to image the body and treat disease. Using very small amounts of radioactive materials, a physician gathers precise and highly targeted medical information that can identify abnormalities very early in the progress of a disease. Nuclear medicine imaging is used with many medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology to psychiatry. The amount of radiation in a typical nuclear imaging procedure is comparable with that received during a diagnostic X-ray.

What are some common uses of Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine images can assist the physician in diagnosing diseases. Tumors, infection and other disorders can be detected by evaluating organ function. Specifically, nuclear medicine can be used to:

  • Analyze kidney function
  • Image blood flow and function of the heart
  • Scan lungs for respiratory and blood-flow problems
  • Identify blockage of the gallbladder
  • Evaluate bones for fracture, infection, arthritis or tumor
  • Determine the presence or spread of cancer
  • Identify bleeding into the bowel
  • Locate the presence of infection
  • Measure thyroid function to detect an overactive or underactive thyroid

How long will the examination take?

Depending on the type of exam, nuclear medicine procedures can take from 20 minutes to several hours and may be conducted over a 24-hour period. Please contact the facility for more information about your specific scans.

How will I prepare for the examination?

Usually, no special preparation is needed for a nuclear medicine examination. However, if the procedure involves evaluation of the stomach, you may have to skip the meal immediately before the test. If the procedure involves evaluation of the kidneys, you may need to drink plenty of water before the test. Please contact the facility for more information about your specific scans.

Prior to the examination, please advise your provider and technologist if you:

  • are pregnant or if you might be pregnant
  • are taking any medications, vitamins or herbal supplements
  • have any allergies
  • have had any recent illnesses
  • have any other medical conditions

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place. You may be asked to lie down on an examination table or to sit or stand. If necessary, a dose of radiotracer will be injected, swallowed or inhaled as a gas. Once a sufficient amount of the radiotracer accumulates in the organ or area of your body to be examined, it gives off gamma rays, which can be detected by devices called gamma cameras and gamma probes.

During the exam, the gamma camera or probe will take a series of images. The camera may rotate around you as you remain still, or the camera may stay in one position and you will be asked to change position between images. While the camera is taking pictures, you will need to remain still for brief periods of time. In some cases, the camera may move very close to your body.

How do I get my results?

A physician who has specialized training in nuclear medicine will interpret the images and forward a report to your physician. It usually takes a day or so to interpret report and deliver the results.

Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA)

Very similar to CT, CTA is a technique that is used to visualize circulatory vessels such as arteries and veins. Beams of X-rays are passed from a rotating device through a specific area of the body to obtain images, which then are assembled by a computer into a three-dimensional picture. CTA will always use intravenous contrast.

What are some common uses of CTA?

CTA is used to examine blood vessels in areas including the brain, neck, chest and abdomen.
Conditions that the exam can reveal include aneurysms and narrowing of the arteries.

How long will the examination take?

Individual CTA exams typically take 10 to 20 minutes.

How will I prepare for the examination?

CTA scan preparations vary and need to be followed precisely. Please contact your referring provider for specific instructions. If possible, do not wear any jewelry, clothing or accessories with metal (including body piercings).

What should I expect during the examination?

Before the exam, you may be asked to change into a dressing gown and remove metal items such as jewelry and body piercings. A technologist will accompany you into the examination room and inform you of the scan or scans that will take place.

During the exam, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table that moves through the large circular opening of the CTA scanner. Next, the table will move through the scanner to determine the correct starting position for the scans. The table will move slowly through the machine as the CTA scan is performed. You may be asked to hold your breath during the scan.

If your coronary arteries or aorta are being examined, electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors will be placed on your arms, legs, and chest. These will record your heart rate and rhythm during scanning. Your heart rate may be slowed with beta blocker drugs prior to scanning. If heart rate medication is given, you will be monitored during and after the procedure. Following scanning, you should have no side effects from the beta blocker medication

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (3D Mammography)

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis provides clearer and more accurate views compared to digital mammography alone. Performed in conjunction with digital mammography, tomosynthesis produces 3-dimensional images of the entire breast layer by layer. This allows our radiologists to examine all the complexities of your breast tissue with fine details better visualized and no longer hidden by the overlapping tissue above and below.

How long will the examination take?

A Digital Breast Tomosyntheis examination takes about 15 minutes.

How will I prepare for the examination?

  • Do not wear any underarm deodorant or apply powders, creams or lotions to your underarms or breast.
  • Consider wearing an outfit with a separate top and bottom, so you don’t have to undress all the way.
  • Bring any mammogram images that were completed at another facility.

What should I expect during the examination?

You will see little difference in how your mammogram is performed, and there is a comparable radiation dose to a traditional mammogram. The X-Ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple images in a matter of 4 additional seconds. High-powered computing then converts the images into a 3D rendering to be examined by your Radiologist one page or one millimeter “slice” at a time.

Is 3D Mammography a separate exam or part of my usual mammogram?

The 3D Mammography imaging is a separate procedure code, however, it can be performed at the same time as your regular exam. You will likely not notice a difference from your regular exam.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Interventional Radiology

Today, many conditions that once required surgery can be treated nonsurgically by interventional radiologists.

Interventional radiologists at Allegany Imaging treat a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Benign tumors including uterine fibroids
  • Malignant tumors leading to liver, kidney, or lung cancer
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Blocked arteries using balloon angioplasty and intravascular stent placement

Compared to open surgery, interventional radiology treatments typically offer less:

  • Risk
  • Pain
  • Recovery time

Interventional radiologists interact directly with the patient. From preoperative to post-operative, our physicians make sure the patient is comfortable and understands exactly what is taking place both during their procedure and what the patient can expect after the procedure.

Drainage procedures (abscess, seroma, etc.)

Gastrointestinal Intervention

  • Biliary drainage
    It is a procedure in which a catheter is placed through your skin and into your liver to drain bile, and is performed without surgery. An interventional radiologist, a specially trained doctor, performs this procedure in the Radiology Department. The doctor uses x-ray imaging (like a TV screen) to help place the catheter in the proper location.
  • Biliary stenting/stone extraction
    A biliary drain, also known as a billiary stent or biliary catheter, is a tube placed through your skin and into your liver that drains bile from your liver. A biliary drain may also be used if there is leakage or a hole that forms in the bile duct, which can cause severe pain or infection. Biliary drains also may be placed before surgery or for removal of a bile duct stone. Other minimally invasive techniques can also be used to treat an inflamed or infected gallbladder.
  • Cholecystostomy tube placement
    We place a tube through the skin and create a stoma that drains bile directly from the gall bladder. This procedure is for patients who need to delay gall bladder surgery or those who are not good candidates for surgery.
  • Gastrostomy tube placement
    A gastrostomy tube, also known as “g-tube”, is a small feeding tube that is placed in the stomach for feeding or decompression. G-tubes are placed surgically or straight through the skin (percutaneously). Surgical placement is either laparoscopic or open and can accompany other procedures. G-tubes are placed in infants and children with conditions that affect their nutrition such as failure to thrive, malnutrition, feeding intolerance or swallowing difficulties. They can be temporary or permanent and, if needed, can be left in place for a long time.
  • Jejunostomy tube placement
    During a percutaneous image-guided jejunostomy, an interventional radiologist will place a tube directly through the abdominal wall and into part of your small intestine called the jejunum, providing a way for nutrients to enter your body. This is used for enteral feeding when it is necessary to bypass the upper gastrointestinal tract.
  • PTC
    A Bilary Tube Placement (PTC) is used to relieve a blockage in the bile ducts of the liver that lead to your bowel.  It also may be used to find the bile ducts for surgery. The radiologist will inject X-ray dye through your right side and into your liver and bile ducts. After X-ray pictures are taken, the radiologist will place a small tube into one of the larger bile ducts so that blocked bile can drain out of the body

Genitourinary procedures

  • Nephrostograms
    This is a procedure in which a catheter is placed through your skin into your kidney to drain your urine. An interventional radiologist, who is specially trained, performs this procedure in the Radiology Department. The radiologist uses x-ray imaging to help guide the catheter into exactly the right place to drain your urine. This is done instead of surgery.
  • Nephrostomy tube placements
    You may need a percutaneous nephrostomy tube when something is blocking the normal path that your urine takes to leave your body. Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) tube is a catheter (plastic tube) that is inserted through your skin into your kidney. The nephrostomy tube is placed to drain urine from your body into a collecting bag outside your body.
  • Tract dilatations/stone removal
    Image guided biopsies (Lung, Liver, Lymph node, Thyroid, Spleen, etc.)
    It is a medical test that helps identify the cause of an abnormal lump or mass in your body. This procedure is performed in the Radiology Department by a specially trained doctor called an interventional radiologist. A small needle is inserted into the abnormal area and a sample of tissue is removed, which is then given to a pathologist to examine under a microscope. The pathologist can determine if the abnormal tissue is cancer, non-cancerous tumor, infection or scar.

Musculoskeletal Procedures

  • Arthrograms
    Arthrograms are a diagnostic tool performed in conjunction with MRI, CT or X-ray to evaluate joints. This procedure involves a contrast injection into the joint that enhances the visualization of structures and aids the evaluation of joint abnormalities, such as cartilage tears and other injuries.
  • Imaging guided joint and bursal steroid injections
    Imaging guided procedures include therapeutic and diagnostic steroid injections (joints, tendons, bursa), Synvisc injections, epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks. In each case the Radiologist will use imaging guidance, often fluoroscopy or ultrasound, to guide the procedure, ensuring a safe and accurate injection.
  • Lumbar epidural steroid injections
    Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are a common treatment option for many forms of low back pain and leg pain. They are an integral part of the non-surgical management of sciatica and low back pain. The goal of the injection is pain relief; at times the injection alone is sufficient to provide relief, but commonly an epidural steroid injection is used in combination with a comprehensive rehabilitation program to provide additional benefit.
  • Myelograms
    A myelogram is a procedure done to show if there are any abnormalities in the spine, the spinal cord (the nerves in the spine) or the surrounding structures. It involves placing a needle into the spinal canal and injecting an iodine containing contrast agent into the sac that contains the spinal cord and nerve roots, and then taking images.
  • Sacroiliac joint steroid injections
    The sacroiliac facet joints are a small joint in the region of the low back and buttocks where the pelvis joins with the spine. If the joints become painful they may cause pain in the low back, buttocks, abdomen, groin or legs. The injection is performed with the patient lying on his or her abdomen. Prior to the injection, the area of the skin where the medication will be injected is cleaned and numbed with local anesthetic. With the use of fluoroscopy (live x-ray), the radiologist injects a mixture of local anesthetic and steroid medication into the sacroiliac joint.

Radiofrequency ablation procedures/Cryoablation

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a medical procedure in which part of the electrical conduction system of the heart, tumor or other dysfunctional tissue is ablated using the heat generated from medium frequency alternating current (in the range of 350–500 kHz).

Cryotherapy, also called cryosurgery, cryoablation, percutaneous cryotherapy or targeted cryoablation therapy, is a minimally invasive treatment that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy diseased tissue, including cancer cells. Although cryotherapy and cryoablation can be used interchangeably, the term “cryosurgery” is best reserved for cryotherapy performed using an open, surgical approach.

During cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen or high pressure argon gas flows into a needle-like applicator (a cryoprobe) creating intense cold that is placed in contact to diseased tissue. Physicians use image-guidance techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) to help guide the cryoprobes to treatment sites located inside the body.

Vascular Diagnostic Procedures

  • Arteriography
    An arteriogram is a special X-ray examination of your arteries. An interventional radiologist performs this X-ray by inserting a catheter, or thin tube, into one of your arteries through a tiny hole the size of a pencil tip. Contrast, which is X-ray dye, is then injected into the artery while X-ray pictures are taken. Arteriograms can accurately detect problems in blood vessels in and around the brain, lungs, heart, kidney, stomach, arms, and legs. The arteriogram helps the radiologist and your doctor plan the best treatment for you.One of the most common reasons for an arteriogram is to find out if there is an artery blockage that is causing your symptoms. An arteriogram can determine the exact location, severity, and cause of the blockage. Arteriograms are also used to diagnose difficult problems not resolved by other tests, or to determine the best surgical procedure to treat a condition.
  • Intravascular Ultrasound
    Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), also known as endovascular ultrasound or intravascular echocardiography, is an imaging technique that uses a transducer or probe to generate sound waves and produce pictures of the insides of blood vessels. The technique uses a special catheter with a small ultrasonic transducer on one end. The catheter is threaded through an artery or vein to the target location, where sound waves are generated by the transducer to produce images of the blood vessels and help physicians assess their condition.
    IVUS is most often used to visualize the coronary arteries in conjunction with or to help plan for catheter angiography or angioplasty and vascular stenting. Unlike angioplasty, IVUS can show the entire artery wall and reveal more information about plaque buildup (atherosclerosis), which is associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Information from IVUS often affects treatment decisions, such as the sizing of a stent and where it should be placed. It is often used after angioplasty and vascular stenting to confirm the stent has been placed correctly and that the procedure has addressed the problem.

    IVUS is also used to assess abdominal aortic aneurysm before, during and after interventions to repair the vessel.

  • Selective and Nonselective vascular catheter placements
  • Venography
    Venography is an x-ray examination that uses an injection of contrast material to show how blood flows through your veins. Your doctor may use it to find blood clots, identify a vein for use in a bypass procedure or dialysis access, or to assess varicose veins before surgery.

Vascular Interventional Procedures

  • Aneurysm Repair
  • Angioplasty
    An angioplasty is a procedure that opens up blocked or narrowed blood vessels without surgery. A specially trained doctor, known as an interventional radiologist, does this procedure in the Radiology Department. During the procedure the radiologist places a catheter (a small tube) into your blocked or narrowed artery. There is a balloon on the end of this small catheter. When the balloon is placed in the area of the blocked or narrowed vessel, the radiologist inflates the balloon. The balloon stretches out the artery which improves blood flow through that area. The interventional radiologist uses x-rays and contrast (x-ray dye) to help guide the catheter to the exact location of the blocked or narrowed vessel.
  • Chemo/embolization
    Chemoembolization places chemotherapy and synthetic materials called embolic agents into a blood vessel feeding a cancerous tumor to cut off the tumor’s blood supply and trap the chemotherapy within. It is most often used to treat liver cancer but may also be used in patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Chemoembolization may be used as a standalone treatment or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or radiofrequency ablation.
  • Dialysis access interventions
    Dialysis and Access Interventions are minimally invasive procedures performed to improve blood flow in the fistula and grafts placed in the blood vessels of dialysis patients. Dialysis is a process used to treat patients whose kidneys are not working properly. It involves a special machine and tubing that removes blood from the body, cleanses it of waste and extra fluid and then returns it back to the body.
  • IVC filter placement
    In an Inferior Vena Cava Filter placement procedure, interventional radiologists use image guidance to place a filter in the inferior vena cava (IVC), the large vein in the abdomen that returns blood from the lower body to the heart. Your doctor may recommend Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters for patients who have a history of or are at risk of developing blood clots in the legs.
  • Stenting
  • Thrombectomy
    During a thrombectomy procedure, a board certified Interventional Radiologist inserts a thin tube (catheter) into the artery through a small nick in the skin about the size of the tip of a pencil using an X-ray to guide the catheter to the problem area. An X-ray dye, also called a contrast agent or contrast, is injected to make the blood vessels visible on the X-ray. Then, depending on your condition, different agents are injected into the blood vessels to remove the blockage (thrombolysis), or the blockage is removed using special catheters.
  • Thrombolysis
    During a thrombolysis procedure, a board certified Interventional Radiologist inserts a thin tube (catheter) into the artery through a small nick in the skin about the size of the tip of a pencil using an X-ray to guide the catheter to the problem area. An X-ray dye, also called a contrast agent or contrast, is injected to make the blood vessels visible on the X-ray. Then, depending on your condition, different agents are injected into the blood vessels to remove the blockage. The IR doctor may then use a special catheter to remove any other blockage that has not dissolved (thrombectomy).
  • TIPS
    T.I.P.S stands for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt. A stent/shunt is placed to allow blood to flow from the portal venous system through the hepatic venous system thereby relieving the complications of portal hypertension.
  • Uterine fibriod embolization
    Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive treatment for fibroid tumors of the uterus. Fibroid tumors, also known as myomas, are benign tumors that arise from the muscular wall of the uterus. It is extremely rare for them to turn cancerous. More commonly, they cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pain in the pelvic region and pressure on the bladder or bowel. Physicians use an X-ray camera called a fluoroscope to guide the delivery of small particles to the uterus and fibroids. The small particles are injected through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. These block the arteries that provide blood flow, causing the fibroids to shrink. Nearly 90 percent of women with fibroids experience relief of their symptoms.
  • Venoplasty
    Venoplasty is a procedure that involves inserting an inflatable balloon to widen your veins and improve blood flow. Sometimes a tiny tube (stent) is inserted in the vein to keep the vein open.

Venous Access Procedures

In a Vascular Access procedure, such as Port Placement, the insertion of a flexible thin plastic tube, or catheter, into a blood vessel provides a painless way of drawing blood or delivering drugs and nutrients into a patient’s bloodstream over a period of weeks, months or even years.

  • Tunneled and nontunneled access devices
  • Repair, removal – PICC, Port, Hickman, Permcath, etc.

Vertebroplasty/Khyphoplasty

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are minimally invasive procedures for vertebral compression fractures (VCF), which are fractures in vertebra, the small bones that make up the spinal column. In Vertebroplasty, physicians use image guidance to inject a special cement mixture through a hollow needle into the fractured bone. In Kyphohplasty, a balloon is first inserted through the needle into the fractured bone to restore the height and shape of the vertebra. Once the balloon is removed, the cement mixture is injected. Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are used to treat pain caused by vertebral compression fractures in the spine.

To learn more about Vascular and Interventional Radiology visit the Society of Interventional Radiology at www.SIRweb.org.

For more information on this and other radiology procedures, please visit www.radiologyinfo.org.

Digital Mammography

Mammography is a specialized low-dose x-ray imaging technique used in breast cancer screening and early detection.

How long will the examination take?

A mammography exam, also known as a mammogram, takes approximately 30 minutes.

How will I prepare for the examination?

Do not wear deodorant, talcum powder or lotion under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam. If possible, obtain any prior mammograms from other facilities. Please note that mammograms must be ordered by a referring provider.

What should I expect during the examination?

When you have a mammogram, you stand in front of an x-ray machine. The person who takes the x-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture.

How do I get my results?

In almost all instances, your referring provider will receive your examination results within two business days or less. Contact your referring provider for the results.

Pain Management

Diagnostic injections and pain procedures can help treat acute and chronic pain. They are ordered for the diagnosis and/or treatment of pain in all areas of the spine and joints (lumbar, cervical, thoracic, shoulder, hip, wrist, etc.). Often times, you may receive an MRI or CT exam in conjunction with a pain management injection.

Our radiologists specialize in pain management procedures and diagnostic injections. They have advanced training in more specific areas as well, to include musculoskeletal and neuro imaging. This ensures your pain injection is both accurate and safe.

Women’s Imaging

There are a variety of woman’s imaging services available to patients. Whether you need a mammogram, bone density test, fetal imaging, or ultrasound, you will find our priority is providing you the best possible care, gently and professionally.

3D Mammography

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis provides clearer and more accurate views compared to digital mammography alone. Performed in conjunction with digital mammography, tomosynthesis produces 3-dimensional images of the entire breast layer by layer. This allows our radiologists to examine all the complexities of your breast tissue with fine details better visualized and no longer hidden by the overlapping tissue above and below.

Digital Mammography

Mammography is a specialized low-dose x-ray imaging technique used in breast cancer screening and early detection.

Bone Density Scan (DEXA)

DEXA scans are used primarily to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). This makes it an excellent choice in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

Breast MRI

Breast MRI helps to detect small lesions sometimes missed by mammography — without using radiation or compressing the breasts. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to take very clear pictures of soft tissues, so it can be extremely useful in breast imaging.

Breast Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses sound waves instead of X-rays to exam breast tissue. A transducer is passed over the breast. The transmitted sound waves are translated into a picture on a monitor. It does not cause discomfort and, because it does not use radiation, it carries very little risk.

Ultrasound is useful for women with dense breasts or for evaluating suspicious areas seen by mammography or felt during a breast exam. It can also find breast lesions that are close to the chest, where mammography is less useful. Breast ultrasound can distinguish between cysts, which are fluid-filled, versus other types of solid breast masses.

Hysterosonography

Hysterosonography uses ultrasound to produce images of the inside of a woman’s uterus and help diagnose unexplained vaginal bleeding. Hysterosonography is performed very much like a gynecologic exam and involves the insertion of an ultrasound transducer into the vagina to study the lining of the uterus.

MRI Guided Breast Biopsy

MRI-guided biopsy uses MRI to guide the radiologist to the exact location of the area of concern. MRI biopsy is usually used when the abnormality can be best seen on breast MRI, but not as well visualized on mammogram or ultrasound. Often lesions that are biopsied are done under the imaging modality that best demonstrates them.

Image-guided biopsy allows patients to avoid hospitalization and general anesthesia (previously necessary with traditional surgical biopsy). It is a valuable method of getting a fast, accurate, conclusive diagnosis—without unnecessary time, pain or expense to the patient.

OB Ultrasound

One of the more frequent applications of ultrasound is in the evaluation of a fetus. Most obstetricians perform a routine diagnostic ultrasound to look for any abnormalities with either the fetus or the mother’s anatomy during early pregnancy. Depending on the time of gestation and positioning, the gender may or may not be identified. This ultrasound procedure is painless and non-invasive.

Stereotactic Breast Biopsy

Stereotactic biopsy uses mammography to precisely guide clinicians to a lump or abnormality such as an area of calcification, that cannot be felt or seen on ultrasound. Clinicians see a 3D picture of the lump’s exact location.

Image-guided biopsy allows patients to avoid hospitalization and general anesthesia (previously necessary with traditional surgical biopsy). It is a valuable method of getting a fast, accurate, conclusive diagnosis—without unnecessary time, pain or expense to the patient.

Transvaginal Ultrasound

Transvaginal ultrasound imaging of the abdomen uses sound waves to produce pictures of the structures and organs in and around a woman’s uterus. Transvaginal (TV) ultrasounds are performed very much like a gynecologic exam and involves the insertion of an ultrasound transducer into the vagina to study the lining of the uterus. These exams are frequently used to evaluate the reproductive and urinary systems. Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive and does not use ionizing radiation

Men’s Imaging

From low-dose CT lung screenings to calcium scores and non-invasive prostate MRI, we provide a comprehensive range of services for men’s health. Whether diagnostic or routine, studies are performed by experienced clinicians using the most advanced equipment available.

Prostate MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the structures within a man’s prostate gland. It is primarily used to evaluate the extent of prostate cancer and determine whether it has spread. It also may be used to help diagnose infection, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or congenital abnormalities.

Prostate Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves to image the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels, in real-time. The prostate gland and surrounding tissue are examined by the insertion of an ultrasound probe into the patient’s rectum. There are no harmful effects, and it gives a clearer picture of soft tissues than X-ray images.

Scrotum Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging of the scrotum uses sound waves to produce an image of a man’s testicles and the surrounding tissue. It is primarily used to help evaluate disorders of the testicles, and scrotum. Ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation

Additional preparations may be required depending on your exam. Please follow instructions given to you by scheduling, technologist and/or you physician.

For further information refer to radiologyinfo.org.