Newswise — A decade or two ago, if your doctor had said, "Let's take a peek inside," you would have known you were facing exploratory surgery. But today, more than likely your doctor is referring to one of the scans that can show the inner workings of your body in precise detail. And for most of them, you won't feel a thing. Depending on your symptoms or condition, your doctor might recommend:
CT or computerized tomography layers multiple X-rays in fine detail to display 2-D or 3-D images. Modern scanners, which can take as many as 128 images at once, are fast enough to scan blood vessels and the heart. "We can 'freeze motion' by acquiring many images quickly," explains Mark Fulmer, M.D., a diagnostic radiologist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. "We can see inside the coronary arteries, visualize the plaque, and measure how narrowed they are. And this is just the beginning of a whole explosion of technology." These scans can sometimes replace more invasive techniques such as angiograms and cardiac catheterization.
MRI or magnetic resonance imaging uses high-powered magnets to image the body's tissues. They are often used to view the musculoskeletal system, the brain and abdominal organs, especially before surgery. Breast MRIs can help screen women at high risk of cancer and track the progress of cancer treatment. Because CTs and MRIs provide different information, your doctor might recommend both tests to evaluate your problem.
The emergency department at Baylor Dallas recently acquired a Statscan, which is a flexible-format digital radiograph system used mainly for trauma and emergency patients. The scanner provides health care providers with a complete head-to-toe image of a patient's injuries. Exceptionally high resolution and low doses of radiation, as well as a quick scan time, make this a good tool for diagnosing many types of injuries.
Digital mammography is to traditional mammography what digital cameras are to their film counterparts. The technique for performing the test is the same, but technicians and radiologists can tweak the image to improve it.
For more information about Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, visit http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
RSS