Published: March 14, 2007 04:08 pm            

New advanced CT scanner helping Woodland patients

Woodland Medical Center announced that they have added a state-of-the-art multi-slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to their facility. The new Brilliance CT scanner from Philips Medical Systems features advanced technology that produces split-second high quality images, permitting doctors to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. With this new CT scanner, Woodland Medical Center’s doctors will be able to more effectively detect and treat a range of life threatening illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lung disease. The possibility of discovering disease in an early stage, when a wider array of effective treatment options may be available, will help doctors make an accurate diagnosis, and recommend appropriate treatment for their patients.

According to Melissa Hutcherson, Director of Radiology, “We can use the extensive image information we get from the Brilliance CT scanner to generate very detailed 3D images which can be used for diagnosis and also shared very quickly with referring physicians and surgeons, where needed, for pre-surgical planning and for treatment evaluation and follow up.”

The unmatched speed and sub-millimeter detail of the new CT scanner will also contribute to more rapid assessment and decision making in trauma cases, where physicians may have to make life and death decisions within minutes.

Patients needing a CT scan will find that Woodland Medical Center’s new scanner offers a much more pleasant experience. Having your heart and coronary arteries evaluated using a CT scanner reduces the need for drugs to regulate the rhythm of the heart. And there is no hospital stay required. With much faster scan times patients will usually be asked to carry out one brief breath hold during each scan.

“Older patients and those with breathing difficulties or some other distress will really appreciate the shorter exams,” says Anna Linley Higginbotham, Director of Marketing “We’ll have them in and out much faster, and their doctors will be able to access detailed, definitive results within minutes.”

All CT scanners use X-rays, however the new Brilliance scanner uses a significantly lower amount of X-ray energy than many of the other CT systems on the market.

“While we need the critical anatomical information we get from a CT scan, we always want to limit the X-ray dose to the patient to the absolute minimum possible, especially for children,” says Hutcherson, “Our new Brilliance scanner features unique technology that ensures we get exceptional images with significantly lower dose to the patient. And, it has specific built-in pediatric protocols that further minimize the dose to children,” she says.

Another advantage the hospital anticipates is the ability to provide more large patients with a CT scan option. The new Brilliance scanner has a table weight capacity of up to 440 pounds.

“In the past, being able to handle some larger patients was sometimes a challenge, because most equipment simply can’t accommodate them,” says Higginbotham, “With the Brilliance CT, we can handle the additional body weight, and those patients will be able to benefit from this great diagnostic technology as well.”

A CT scan produces a cross-sectional image of the human anatomy which helps the clinician to rule out or confirm the presence of certain disease, and in some cases to evaluate the extent of injuries to a trauma patient, such as someone involved in an automobile accident. During the non-invasive test, the patient is placed on a table and moved incrementally through the squared off donut-shaped scanner while an X-ray beam is projected through cross sections of their anatomy. The X-ray energy passes through the patient and is recorded on electronic detectors in the scanner. This information is then sent to a specialized computer that reconstructs the information into individual slices and combines them sequentially into a comprehensive volume image of the entire area scanned. The thinner the slices, the more revealing the detail is in the resulting images, and the more definitive the exam results.

Woodland Medical Center is pleased to be able to offer this important improvement in healthcare to its patients. Woodland Medical Center has been providing quality healthcare services to the Cullman area for more than 30 years. Patient referrals may be made by calling 256-739-3500.

        

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