S- Radiology - Advent Hospital (2024)

The Radiology Department of the Antillean Adventist Hospital offers a full range of imaging technology, radiology, and imaging services designed to offer you accurate results. Our dedicated and highly skilled radiology team members are committed to giving you top-quality care in a safe environment.

We offer our imaging services between 7:30 and 3:30 on business days at our 2 locations, Groot Davelaar and Damacor.

The Antillean Adventist Hospital offers the following imaging services:

Mammograms are probably the most important tool doctors have not only to screen for breast cancer, but also to diagnose, evaluate, and follow people who have had breast cancer. Safe and reasonably accurate, a mammogram is an X-ray photograph of the breast. The technique has been in use for more than 50 years. In some cases, a mammogram will be combined with an ultrasound exam to have a more detailed look at certain parts of the breast. The Radiologist decides if this is necessary after seeing the mammography pictures. For women at average risk, screening mammograms should be performed annually beginning at age 35 to check the breasts for any early signs of breast cancer.

If you have a higher risk of breast cancer, you and your doctor may decide that you will be start screening mammograms at a younger age.

An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body. An ultrasound scan can be used to monitor an unborn baby, diagnose a condition, or guide a surgeon during certain procedures. The image is displayed on a monitor while the scan is carried out.

The technology is similar to that used by sonar and radar, which help the military detect planes and ships. An ultrasound allows your doctor to see problems with organs, vessels, and tissues without needing to make an incision.

Unlike other imaging techniques, ultrasound uses no radiation. For this reason, it’s the preferred method for viewing a developing fetus during pregnancy.

Preparing for an ultrasound scan

Before having some types of ultrasound scans, you may be asked to follow certain instructions to help improve the quality of the images produced. For example, you may be advised to:

• Drink water and not go to the restroom until after the scan – this may be needed before a scan of your unborn baby or your pelvic area.
• Avoid eating and smoking for several hours before the scan –this may be needed before a scan of your digestive system, including the liver and gallbladder
• Depending on the area of your body being examined, you be may be asked to remove some clothing.

Computed tomography (CT) is an imaging procedure that uses special x-ray equipment to create detailed pictures, or scans, of areas inside the body. It is also called computerized tomography and computerized axial tomography (CAT). It is a diagnostic imaging test used to create detailed images of internal organs, bones, soft tissue, and blood vessels. CT scanning is often the best method for detecting many different cancers since the images allow your doctor to confirm the presence of a tumor and determine its size and location. CT is fast, painless, noninvasive, and accurate.

During a CT scan, you lie in a tunnel-like machine while the inside of the machine rotates and takes a series of X-rays from different angles. These pictures are then sent to a computer, where they’re combined to create images of slices, or cross-sections, of the body. They may also be combined to produce a 3-D image of a particular area of the body.

In preparation for your CT

Tell your doctor if there is a possibility you are pregnant and discuss any recent illnesses, medical conditions, allergies, and medications you are taking. You will be instructed not to eat or drink anything for a few hours beforehand. If you have a known allergy to contrast material, your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction. These medications must be taken 48 hours prior to your exam. Leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may be asked to wear a gown.

For a CT of the gastrointestinal area’s you will be asked to drink a liquid contrast agent (Gastrografine). You will have to drink this the day before the test and one hour before the test. In some cases, this may cause diarrhea.

General Diagnostic Radiology is the most familiar form of radiology, a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. It involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. A bone x-ray makes images of any bone in the body, such as the hand, wrist, arm, elbow.

Some common uses of the procedure of a bone x-ray are:

• Diagnosing of fractured bones or joint dislocation
• Guiding orthopedic surgery, such as spine repair/fusion or joint replacement
• Look for injury, infection and bone changes seen in metabolic conditions
• Assist in the detection and diagnosis of bone cancer

Preparation for an X-ray (radiograph)

Most bone x-rays require no special preparation. You may be asked to remove some or all of your clothes and to wear a gown during the exam. You may also be asked to remove jewelry, removable dental appliances, eyeglasses and any metal objects or clothing that might interfere with the x-ray images.Women should always inform their physician and x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant. Many imaging tests are not performed during pregnancy so as not to expose the fetus to radiation. If an x-ray is necessary, precautions will be taken to minimize radiation exposure to the baby.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues in your body. MostMRImachines are large, tube-shaped magnets.

MRIis the most frequently used imaging test of the brain and spinal cord. It’s often performed to help diagnose:

• Disorders of the eye and inner ear
• Spinal cord disorders
• Stroke
• Tumors
• Brain injury from trauma

How to prepare for an MRI

Before an MRI exam, eat normally and continue to take your usual medications, unless otherwise instructed. You will typically be asked to change into a gown and to remove things that might affect the magnetic imaging, such as jewelry, hairpins, eyeglasses, watches, wigs, dentures, hearing aids, underwire in bras or cosmetics that contain metal particles.

What you can expect during an MRI test

The MRI machine looks like a long narrow tube that has both ends open. You lie down on a movable table that slides into the opening of the tube. A technologist monitors you from another room. You can talk to them by microphone.

If you have a fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), you might be given a drug to help you feel sleepy and less anxious. Most people get through the exam without difficulty. The procedure is painless. During the MRI scan, the internal part of the magnet produces repetitive tapping, thumping, and other noises.

In some cases, a contrast material, typically gadolinium, will be injected through an intravenous (IV) line into a vein in your hand or arm. The contrast material enhances certain details. Gadolinium rarely causes allergic reactions.

An MRI can last anywhere from 15 minutes to more than an hour. You must hold still because the movement can blur the resulting images.