 Mercy HospitalMedical ImagingMedical/diagnostic imaging
For more information on medical imaging please call, Mercy Hospital offers a full range of advanced diagnostic technology for peering inside the human body, including:
To interpret images, a full-time radiologist is on staff and is able to consult with additional specialists electronically. For medical imaging information please call 763-236-7150. Source: Mercy & Unity Hospitals, Medical Imaging Reviewed by: Geri Heilman, Mercy Medical Imaging Manager and Vicki Goodman, Unity Medical Imaging Manager First Published: 01/01/2005 Last Reviewed: 05/09/2006 Diagnostic x-ray
Diagnostic x-ray encompasses many different types of exams such as bone imaging, chest x-rays, abdomen plain films, fluoroscopy and studies using contrast agents. Exams that are done using fluoroscopy allow the radiologist to visualize the motion of internal structures and fluids. Using a variety of contrast materials that include barium and iodinated compounds, health care professionals can obtain images of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, kidneys and spinal canal. Fluoroscopy
For more information on medical imaging please call, X-rays cannot “see” soft tissue such as the digestive tract. To acquire an x-ray of these organs, it is necessary to use a contrast agent. Imaging of the upper digestive tract, often called an “upper GI series,” includes the organs from the mouth to the beginning of the small intestine; the contrast agent is taken orally. Imaging of the lower digestive tract, often called a barium enema, includes the colon and rectum; the contrast agent is administered as an enema at the time of your imaging appointment. The small bowel, the portion of your digestive tract between the stomach and the colon, may also be visualized with the use of oral barium. Pre-appointmentLet your technologist know about any of the following:
Patient experienceFluoroscopy exams, also known as tableside exams, are done by the radiologist, assisted by the technologist. You will be asked to shift your position from time to time so the radiologist and technologist can capture the clearest images. The radiologist will explain the procedure as the exam progresses. Each exam takes approximately one hour. Depending on the type of exam, you may have to hold your breath briefly several times. You may need to resist the urge to burp, or you’ll feel the need to go to the bathroom. Pressure may be applied to your abdomen and air may be added in addition to the barium. The radiologist or the technologist will be at your side explaining what is being done and why. The small bowel study may take up to two hours to complete. When the exam is over, the technologist will assist you from the table and out of the room. Patient preparationBecause the images are of your digestive tract, it is important for you to follow the general dietary instructions provided by your doctor and the imaging specialists. You must have with you:
Be sure to wear comfortable clothes. You will be asked to change into a gown for the exam. Your doctor will provide a prep sheet with specific instructions. Certain exams require a preparation kit, available at the clinic or the radiology department at Mercy & Unity Hospitals, which includes complete instructions. Post-examYour x-ray images will be interpreted by a board certified radiologist and the findings will be given to your physician. Your physician will contact you to share and discuss the results. For general radiology information please call: 763-236-7150 (Mercy) or 763-236-0500 (Elk Ridge Health). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
For more information on medical imaging please call, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the newest, and perhaps most versatile, medical imaging technology available. Doctors receive highly refined images of the body's interior without surgery, using MRI. Strong magnets and pulses of radio waves are used to manipulate the natural magnetic properties in the body. This technique makes better images of organs and soft tissues than those of other scanning technologies and doesn't require radiation. MRI is particularly useful for imaging the brain and spine, as well as the soft tissues of joints and the interior structure of bones. The entire body is visible to the technique, which poses few known health risks. The imaging is painless. The high field MRI surrounds the body like a hoop. The latest addition to MRI technology is magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), which was developed to study blood flow (see description of MRA below). Pre-appointment
The use of a magnetic field presents some limitation. Before making a MRI exam appointment, let your doctor know about any of the following:
Patient experience
An imaging procedure typically lasts 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type
of information requested by your physician. For the best quality image, you
need to be as still as possible during the exam. Just relax, make yourself comfortable
and breathe normally. Patient preparationYou must have with you:
For an abdominal or pelvic MRI:
Post-exam
Your MRI images will be interpreted by a board certified radiologist and the
findings will be given to your physician. Your physician will contact you to
share and discuss the results.
CT (CAT) scan
A CT scan is the term used to describe a radiologic test known as "computerized tomography." Computed refers to the use of a computer to create the image. Tomography refers to the fact that the images are of a plane of an area inside your body, like a single piece of bread from the middle of the loaf. The CT scanner is a doughnut-shaped machine that takes pictures of cross-sections of the body, called "slices." An x-ray tube moves in a circular fashion around the area being scanned. The rays are picked up on a scanner, fed into a computer and seen on a computer screen. CT can look inside the brain and other parts of the body, into areas that cannot be seen on regular x-ray examinations. CT makes it possible to diagnose certain diseases earlier and more accurately than other imaging tools. Because most diseases are better treated in the early stages, CT scans can help save lives. Pre-appointment
For more information on medical imaging please call, Let your technologist know about any of the following:
Patient experience
An imaging procedure typically lasts 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the type
of information requested by your physician. For the best quality image, you
need to be as still as possible during the exam. Just relax and breathe normally.
You will lie on a bed that slides into a doughnut-shaped machine. Patient preparationYou must have with you:
For a head or neck CT: Ultrasound
For more information on medical imaging please call, Diagnostic medical sonography utilizes high-frequency sound waves as the imaging tool. There is no radiation exposure and, unlike therapeutic ultrasound, it induces no physiological changes within body tissues. Ultrasound uses low energy sound waves, beyond the range of audible sound, in order to create images. Ultrasound can be used to study abdominal, pelvic, pregnancy, thyroid, and vascular work and for performing invasive procedures such as biopsies. Pre-appointmentLet your sonographer know about any of the following:
Patient experience
An imaging procedure typically lasts 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type
of information requested by your physician. For the best quality image, you
need to be as still as possible during the exam. Just relax and breathe normally. Patient preparation
You must have complete insurance information with you, including your insurance card. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes. You may be asked to change into a gown
for the exam. For a pelvic/OB GYN ultrasound:Drink 32 ozs (four 8 oz glasses) of water, finishing one hour before the procedure and do not urinate until after the exam. For a kidney ultrasound:Drink one 8 oz glass of water one hour before the procedure and do not urinate until after the exam. For an abdominal ultrasound (liver, gall bladder, pancreas, aorta):Do not eat or drink anything after midnight, including gum chewing and smoking. For other ultrasounds (vascular, thyroid, etc.):You have no restrictions on eating or drinking. Post-exam
Your ultrasound images will be interpreted by a board certified radiologist
and the findings will be given to your physician. Your physician will contact
you to share and discuss the results. PETFor more information on medical imaging please call, Positron emission tomography (PET)
is a medical diagnostic, imaging procedure that provides physicians with information
about the body’s chemistry, cell function and location of disease – information
not seen through CT, MRI, X-ray,
blood test or physical examination. Unlike CT or MRI, which look at anatomy
or body structure, PET studies body function or the biology of diseases.
For general radiology information please call: 763-236-7150 (Mercy) or 763-236-0500 (Elk Ridge Health). |