Imaging options at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital have benefits beyond diagnosis
Advanced imaging is an indispensable tool in medicine, providing the capabilities to effectively visualize, detect, and diagnose injuries and disease, as well as monitor treatments and even save lives. Let’s explore today’s imaging technologies and their most noteworthy benefits.
- Computerized tomography (CT)
- How it works: The rotating, donut-shaped X-ray tube delivers computer-generated 3-D images, with clearer soft-tissue detail of internal organs and the anatomy of complex joints than routine X-rays.
- Benefits: Improved image quality and optimized safety via new low-dose radiation protocols with Castle Rock Adventist Hospital’s 32- and 64- slice scanners.
- MD referral required?: Yes
- 3-D Mammography
- How it works: Also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, this type of mammography uses a special X-ray tube that allows for 3-D imaging of internal breast tissue architecture.
- Benefits: Allows for more confident assessment by a radiologist, and according to recent research, a whopping 40 percent increase in the detection of invasive cancers.
- MD referral required? No
- Dual-Energy Absorptiometry (DEXA)
- How it works: DEXA scans painlessly measure bone density via an X-ray that scans the lumbar spine and hips.
- Benefits: Aids in the diagnosis and monitoring the treatment of osteoporosis, as well as providing a reliable estimate of fracture risk.
- MD referral required? Yes
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- How it works: Similar to a CT, this doughnut-shaped tube uses radio waves instead of X-rays to create computer-generated 3D images of organ and joint anatomy, and provide data on tissue and organ function.
- Delivers a clearer picture of soft tissues like muscles and ligaments (as well as nerves, the spinal cord, and brain) than X-ray or CT – and without the radiation.
- MD referral required? Yes
Bigger MRI brings more comfort
The high-quality images provided by MRI make it an important tool for diagnosing. However, its tube-like shape can cause anxiety for those with claustrophobia – including children – and it can be a tight fit for larger individuals. At Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, our new wide-bore MRI unit takes those worries away. The only unit of its type in the Castle Rock area, our MRI is shorter than traditional units, so less of your body is inside the bore. Plus, it offers a foot of expanded headroom and more elbow room for patient comfort. The wide-bore MRI is designed to accommodate a wider range of body types.
Same day appointments may be available; call 720-961-2033 for scheduling details.
