Cath Lab: How It Works

Angiography (Cath Lab) is a type of imaging used to reveal blood vessels in various parts of the body, including the heart, brain and kidneys, so as to determine whether the vessels are diseased, narrowed, enlarged or blocked altogether. After passing a catheter through an artery leading to the body area of interest, a contrast material is injected to highlight the vessels when x-rays are taken. Interventional angiography may still be used in patients who have previously undergone surgery, angioplasty, or stent placement.

The Lab is equipped with a state of the art GE Innova 3100, which provides high-quality digital images. A computer located just outside the Lab allows physicians to call up patient information and access everything the hospital is doing in respect to cardiovascular disease. The Lab allows physicians to take angiograms of the heart and other blood vessels throughout the body to figure out what the proper course of treatment should be.

Computer Tomography (CT)

Computer Tomography (CT), or CAT scan, uses a highly sophisticated, 64 slice Toshiba Aquilion X-ray unit to obtain image information from different angles around the body. The computer processes the information in just seconds to show a cross-section of body tissues and organs.

CT imaging is useful because it can image various types of tissue -- lung, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels -- with immense precision. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and evaluate CT scans of the body, radiologists can fluently diagnose abnormalities such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.

Because it makes available detailed, cross-sectional examination of all types of tissue, CT is one of the finest tools for investigating the chest and abdomen. It is one of the favored methods for detecting various cancers, including lung, liver and pancreatic cancer, because the image permits a doctor to verify the presence of a tumor and measure its size, precise location, and the extent of the tumor's involvement with other nearby tissue. CT examinations are often used to guide biopsies and other minimally invasive procedures, and to plan surgeries.

CT can reveal even extremely diminutive bones, as well as immediate tissues such as muscle and blood vessels, making it invaluable in diagnosing and treating spinal problems and injuries to affected skeletal structures. In cases of extreme trauma, CT can quickly identify injuries to internal organs. CT can also play a significant role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular diseases that can lead to stroke, kidney failure, or death.

Computerized Radiology (CR)

In May of 2006, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center implemented the Konica Minolta, Regius Xpress Computerized Radiology readers, the latest in computerized radiology technology. Radiologists can view these X-ray images, which offer important information about your well-being and take part in an important function in assisting your physician, to make a precise diagnosis. In some cases, X-rays are used to assist with the placement of tubes or other devices in the body, or with other therapeutic procedures.

The decision to have an X-ray exam is a medical one, based on the likelihood of benefit from the exam, versus the potential risk from radiation. Any X-ray exam must be ordered by your physician. For low dose examinations, usually those that only involve X-rays taken by a technologist, this is generally an easy decision.

For those procedures involving the use of contrast materials (dyes) such as barium or iodine, the radiologist may want to consider both your clinical history and frequency of exposure to X-rays. If you have had frequent X-ray exams and change healthcare providers, it is a good idea to keep a record of your X-ray history for yourself. This can help your doctor make an informed decision. It is also very important to tell your doctor if you are pregnant before having an exam that involves the abdomen or pelvic region.

***Did you know?***

Diagnostic Imaging or x-rays are a form of radiant energy, like light or radio waves. Unlike light, x-rays can go through the body, which permits a radiologist to interpret images of internal structures. The radiologist can view these images on either photographic film or computer monitor. The new technology of reading digital x-rays using a computer takes approximately 75% less time than the photographic print, which has been the past method of x-ray reading.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, with expanded on-call weekend coverage. A physician referral is necessary to schedule an MRI.

McKenzie-Willamette's $2.6 million Siemens Magnetom Avanto Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner allows direct, cross-sectional imaging in three planes of any area of the body, with combinations of up to 76 different images taken at the same time. This results in fewer patient re-positionings and a much faster procedure time. The wider, shorter Siemens imaging bore (hollow cylinder that the patient is moved into for scanning) greatly reduces any sensations of claustrophobia.

The Siemens MRI scanner is a very complicated technology that provides an unparalleled view inside the human body. The level of detail is extraordinary compared with any other imaging modality. MRI is the method of choice for the diagnosis of many types of injuries and conditions because of the incredible ability to tailor the exam to the particular medical question being asked. More About MRI Technology.

What does an MRI scan show? Using an MRI scanner, it is possible to make pictures of almost all the tissue in the body. The tissue that has the least hydrogen atoms (such as bones) turns out dark, while the tissue that has many hydrogen atoms (such as fatty tissue) looks much brighter. By changing the timing of the radio wave pulses it is  possible to gain information about the different types of tissues that are  present. An MRI scan is also able to provide clear pictures of parts of the body that are surrounded by bone tissue, so the technique is useful when examining the brain and spinal cord.

Because the MRI scan gives very detailed pictures it is the best technique when it comes to finding tumors (benign or malignant abnormal growths) in the brain. If a tumor is present the scan can also be used to find out if it has spread into nearby brain tissue.

The technique also allows us to focus on other details in the brain. For example, it makes it possible to see the strands of abnormal tissue that occur if someone has multiple sclerosis and it is possible to see changes occurring when there is bleeding in the brain, or find out if the brain tissue has suffered lack of oxygen after a stroke.

The MRI scan is also able to show both the heart and the large blood vessels in the surrounding tissue. This makes it possible to detect heart defects that have been building up since birth, as well as changes in the thickness of the muscles around the heart following a heart attack.

This sophisticated system allows direct cross sectional imaging in three planes of any area in the body including:

• NEURO
• SPINE
• ORTHOPEDIC
• CHEST/ABDOMEN/PELVIS
• MR ANGIOGRAPHY
• CARDIAC
• BREAST