Ask any physician which technology
has had the greatest impact on patient care during the past decade or
two, and you are likely to hear "imaging."Those in medical circles
seem to agree that CT and MRI scanning, as well as sophisticated biopsy
techniques that use ultraound and other imaging, have transformed how
individuals are diagnosed and treated.
Emerson Hospital is keeping pace with this ongoing imaging revolution
through the regular upgrade of its technology and the recruitment of highly
trained radiologists with a degree of specialized expertise found in few
community hospitals. Emerson's new CT scanner, which takes 16 wafer-thin
images, or slices, simultaneously, demonstrates how today's imaging technology
is light-years ahead of the earlier.
"Just ten years ago, scanners could take one image, or slice, at
a time," says James Burch, MD, who joined Emerson Hospital's radiology
staff this year and specializes in neuroradiology and vascular and interventional
radiology. "In the same amount of time it took to scan the liver
back then, now we can go from the neck to the toes."
The speed is impressive, but it is the stunning visual detail that allows
a skilled radiologist to detect the most subtle abnormalities. "For
example, we are detecting stroke much earlier as a result of this improved
technology," says Dr. Burch.
MRI scans reveal subtle sports medicine injuries
The hospital's MRI scanner uses very different technology, incorporating
use of radiowaves, to provide exquisitely detailed images. Although CT
scanning produces precise images of bones, MRI has become the dominant
imaging tool in the field of orthopedic surgery and musculoskeletal health.
"In addition to detecting bone injuries at a regular x-ray cannot
detect, such as wrist fractures, the MRI is highly sensitive to changes
in the bone marrow, so we're able to see contusions — essentially
bone bruises," says Mark Robbins, MD an Emerson hospital radiologist
who specializes in musculoskeletal conditions.
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According to Dr. Robbins, who is fellowship-trained in trauma and musculoskeletal
radiology, MRI is the superior method for detecting soft tissue injures
to ligaments, muscles and tendons — something that benefits young athletes
and weekend warriors alike.
"If someone comes in with a torn Achilles tendon, for example, the
MRI effectively shows the location and extent of damage, which helps determine
if surgery is needed or conservative treatment is preferable," he
says. "But today's MRI scans can also identify early arthritis and
other subtle inflammatory conditions."
John Blute, MD an orthopedic surgeon at Emerson Hospital whose practice
includes sports medicine, says patients benefit
from the hospital's combination of first-rate technology and skilled radiologits."There
is no question at our patients receive quicker diagnoses followed by the
appropriate treatment," says Dr. Blute.
The same applies to neurologic conditions, notes Dr. Burch. "Our
new CT scanner is particularly useful in circumstances where an individual
needs to be immobile, such as with an injury to the cervical spine,"
he says. "We don't have to move the patient because the new CT scans
in one dimension and reconstructs the images in 3D."
For other neurologic conditions, the MRI is the scanner of choice. "We
are finding smaller brain and spinal tumors and can characterize them
more completely, and the MRI is starting to have an impact on both Alzheimer's
disease and Parkinson's disease," says Dr. Burch.
Breast imaging receives an upgrade
MRI scanning recently has found a role in breast imaging, says David
Rose, MD, chief of radiology and director of breast imaging at Emerson
Hospital. "MRI imaging is proving to be a good problem-solver for
us because it enhances how we study breast tissue," he says. "Women
who have had breast cancer or high-risk women with especially dense breast
tissue should have their breast scanned with an MRI."
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But MRI scanning is just one component in Emerson Hospital's growing
array of breast imaging technology. Dr. Rose is enthusiastic about digital
mammography, which will be available in the hospital's new, 8,000-square-foot
Breast Care Center, scheduled to open this spring, and at the Health Center
in Westford in late January. "Digital mammography allows us to perform
computer-aided detection of breast abnormalities," he explains. "With
this new approach, we can magnify, brighten or darken the image in order
to get a better look. Digital mammography also can reduce the need to
take additional views, which means less radiation and discomfort for our
patients."
Mammography is, of course, the mainstay of breast cancer screening. But
when a suspicious growth needs further study, minimally invasive breast
biopsy typically is needed. Emerson's Breast Care Center will offer state-of-the-art
biopsy techniques, both of which use radiologic images to efficiently
obtain tiny tissue samples for study. They include a recently upgraded
Mammotome machine, which uses vacuum suction, and ultrasound-guided core
biopsy.
Thanks to ongoing advances in hardware and software, medical imaging
will continue to improve, says Dr. Robbins, noting the benefits to patients
of Emerson Hospital. "I marvel every day that we can obtain such
incredible images," he says.
Submitted by Emerson Hospital staff.
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