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HealthEast Radiology CareAppointment Line: 651-232-5500 St. John's focuses on technology to offer you the best in medical imaging. We provide a wide range of radiology services, including: Bone densitometryBone densitometry testing is a highly effective method for measuring bone mass or density. It is also an effective diagnostic tool for determining osteoporosis, a disease that results in the thinning of bones. Patients lie on a cushioned table for hip and lower back scans. The scans are produced by a beam of radiation the size of a pencil lead. Even minimal loss of bone density can be determined. Breast gamma cameraOne of the latest and most advanced methods of detecting cancer cells, Breast Gamma Camera provides the most concise images for women with questionable mammograms due to scar tissue, implants or dense breast tissue. Breast Gamma Camera is also called breast specific gamma imaging (BSGI). Learn more here. Computerized tomography (CT)Computerized tomography (CT) is a specialized x-ray test that views the body in three-dimensional sections. It produces images that show both bone and soft tissues such as the brain, chest, spine, abdomen and extremities. Patients undergoing this test may be given a contrast to help highlight the different body parts. The contrast may be taken orally or injected. The patient lies on a padded table that moves in small increments through a donut-shaped scanner as the images are taken. With a doctor's order, a CT scan may also be used during a biopsy procedure. Diagnostic x-rayDiagnostic x-ray is often a first test ordered by a doctor. It can visualize many different parts of the body, allowing more accurate testing and diagnosis. Basic x-rays use a small amount of radiation to view the chest, abdomen, spine, skull, arms or legs. More specialized x-rays use a contrast material, which is taken orally or injected, to better define the spine, kidneys, stomach, colon or bladder. Interventional proceduresInterventional procedures are non-surgical tests that can be used in diagnosis or treatment. A common interventional procedure is the angiogram. During this procedure, a contrast material is injected into an artery or vein. The contrast material outlines the blood vessels so they can be seen with an x-ray. This allows the cardiologist or radiologist to see narrowing, blockages or abnormalities in the vessels so steps such as the placement of a stent, can be taken. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides doctors with a method of looking inside the body without radiation. MRI uses computerized processing in conjunction with a magnetic field and radio frequency waves to make detailed, three-dimensional images of most parts of the body, including the spine, brain, joints, blood vessels and soft tissues. The patient lies on a padded table that slides into the MRI scanner. Multiple pictures can then be taken. These images help doctors detect problems not always visible by other diagnostic tests. MammogramsA mammogram is an x-ray examination of the breast and a screening method for the early detection of breast cancer. A mammogram is also used to diagnose cysts or other abnormalities. Digital mammography With traditional mammography, the image of the breast is acquired on film. With digital mammography, it is collected electronically and stored digitally. Advantages of our digital system include:
Other services Other mammography services include ultrasounds (see below), stereotactic (core) breast biopsies and needle/wire localizations. A stereotactic breast biopsy uses a computer, an x-ray machine and a special biopsy needle to obtain a small sample of breast tissue for analysis by a pathologist. Nuclear medicineNuclear medicine uses a mild, radioactive tracer to diagnose and treat abnormalities of the bone, liver, thyroid, lung, heart or other soft tissue. The scans, enhanced by a variety of special imaging techniques, are helpful in finding things such as blockages in coronary arteries, infections in bone or soft tissue and various types of tumors. A small amount of radioactive material (a "tracer") is injected into a vein, inhaled or swallowed. A special camera captures the signals emitted from the radioactive tracer and records the signals as images. PET/CT scannerPET/CT stands for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computerized Tomography (CT). Both are imaging tools (scans) used by doctors to determine the location of cancer or other diseases in the body. PET scans look at metabolic (cell) activity, while CT scans show the body's internal anatomy. With a PET/CT scanner, the two tests are done at the same time. A PET/CT scanner helps doctors diagnose and see the extent of most types of cancer, neurological disorders (including Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy) and damage to cardiac muscle after a heart attack. UltrasoundUltrasound, also known as sonography, can be used to view any solid organ and many blood vessels in the body without radiation. Organs like the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, uterus, ovaries, testicles and thyroid can be examined. Ultrasound is also used to determine the stage of pregnancy, check the baby's position in the uterus and assess an unborn baby's general health. During the procedure, a gel is applied to the area and then a small probe is moved gently across the skin. High frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, create images on a screen.
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