Procedures

Overview

A Computerized Tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body.

The procedure requires you to lie on a narrow table that slides through an opening into the scanning tunnel. Straps and pillows may be used to help you stay in position. You may hear buzzing, clicking and whirring noises as the detectors and the X-ray tube rotate around you. Each rotation yields several images of thin slices of your body. The whole procedure typically takes about 30 minutes.

Images from a CT scan provide more detailed information than regular X-rays do, and are especially helpful in diagnosing people who may have internal injuries from car accidents or other types of trauma. We conveniently offer CT scans onsite.

Other Imaging Available

• CT Angiography: A minimally invasive test that uses an injection of iodine-rich contrast material and CT scanning to help diagnose and evaluate blood vessel disease or related conditions, such as aneurysms or blockages.
• MRI: An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a non-invasive way to examine the inside of your body. An MRI scanner typically resembles a large tube with a table in the middle, allowing the patient to slide into the tunnel. It then uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to create a detailed cross-sectional image of the patient's internal organs and structures. Because an MRI provides detailed images of soft tissues in the body, it is often used to diagnose the health of the liver.
• MRE: This imaging test lets your doctor see detailed pictures of your small intestine. Oral and intravenous contrast dyes are given to highlight the small intestine, then a magnetic field creates detailed images of your organs. A computer then analyzes the images.
• MRCP: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a specialized MRI scan, used specifically to examine the pancreatic area. If a CT scan was normal, your doctor may recommend MRCP, which allows the doctor to view the area in even more detail.