Radiology services: increased capabilities

When a patient is waiting for a diagnosis, speed and accuracy are of the utmost importance. Our newly installed PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), is a computing system capable of sorting, retrieving, displaying, and printing medical images on screens placed throughout the entire hospital. The patient and physician benefits of PACS are numerous. They include: decreased turnaround time, shorter wait times for diagnosis and treatment, instant display of vital patient information, simultaneous distribution of patient radiology information to multiple locations, and increased radiology efficiency. We are also designing a web-based product that will allow physician’s to view patient imaging studies within their own offices.

Introducing cutting-edge imaging technology

Radiology Services also installed three new high-tech diagnostic tools, digital mammography, a new MRI, and a 64-slice LightSpeed CT Scanner.

• National studies have shown that digital mammography, as opposed to film-screened mammography, has a higher breast cancer detection rate among young, thin women with dense breast tissue. This is significant in that about 45 percent of all women screened have dense breast tissue.
   
• The new MRI features technology that allows physicians to view high-resolution images of the breast and surrounding tissue. This is crucial in detecting hard to locate cancers and implant ruptures, as well as in making surgical assessments. The addition of a biopsy-positioning device allows physicians to perform immediate patient biopsies. Another benefit of the new MRI is its ability to produce improved cardiac imaging, which is instrumental in diagnosing cardiac disease.
   
• The 64-slice LightSpeed CT Scanner represents a revolution in CT scanning by enabling physicians to simultaneously capture multiple images of a patient’s anatomy in a matter of seconds.

The radiology department has also begun performing balloon kyphoplasty. This is a minimally invasive treatment for vertebral compression fractures, most often caused by osteoporosis. Cancer, arthritis, degenerative disc diseases, or trauma to the back can also cause these spinal fractures. Compression fractures can cause the vertebrae to collapse, producing a "wedged" vertebrae and shortened height.

During kyphoplasty, a hollow instrument is used to make a narrow pathway into the fractured bone. A small balloon is guided through the instrument into the vertebra and carefully inflated to raise the collapsed vertebra and restore its normal position. The balloon is then removed; creating a space that is filled with bone cement to stabilize the fracture. The cement forms an internal cast that holds the vertebra in place.

The benefits of balloon kyphoplasty include:

• significant reduction in back pain.
• significant improvement in mobility.
• significant improvement in ability to perform activities of daily life.

Highly trained radiologists

Due to a significantly increased demand for interventional radiology, Fort Hamilton Hospital has formed a relationship with Professional Radiology Inc. (PRI). The experienced radiologists of PRI bring expertise that extends beyond the reading room, offering interventional treatments that help some patients avoid surgery and lengthy
hospital stays.