CT Scan
A CT or CAT (computed tomography) scan combines X-ray imaging and computer technology to show highly detailed, 3-D images of any part of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, organs and blood vessels. CT exams can also be performed using a contrast media or solution (either swallowed or injected) to make tissues and vessels more visible.
Plateau Medical Center utilizes an advanced 64-slice CT scanner that can capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, an organ in one second, and perform a whole body CT scan in 10 seconds. This technology results in less radiation exposure for patients, and can be used to examine a wider range of conditions - everything from scans of the heart, spine, lungs and colon, to advanced techniques such as angiography, virtual colonoscopy, tumor identification and radiation therapy planning.
Plateau Medical Center offers innovative diagnostic CT scan procedures, including:
- Cardiac Imaging - Doctors can use these scans to capture CT images of the heart and coronary arteries in just five heartbeats. The quicker exam time and shorter breath hold offers a more comfortable experience for sick or elderly patients. Three primary causes of mortality in patients with chest pain are aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism and coronary artery disease. Plateau Medical Center doctors can use this single, quick CT scan to help diagnose chest pain.
- Stroke Imaging - When treatment is delivered within the first hour after a stroke, it can provide the best possible outcome for the patient. CT scanning provides the necessary speed and resolution required for rapid imaging of blood vessels in the brain, so doctors can begin treatment as quickly as possible.
We provide a range of advanced CT scan-guided techniques that doctors and radiologists use in both diagnosis and interventional radiology treatments, including:
- Biopsies and abscess drainages
- CT angiography and arteriography
- CT radiation therapy planning
- Image-guided surgeries and pre-surgical planning
- Myelography (spine imaging with contrast solution)
- Virtual colonoscopy