An MRI machine does not work like an X-ray or CT; it is used for exact images of internal organs and body structures. This method delivers clear images without the exposure of radiation. The procedure uses a combination of magnetic fields and radio waves which results in an image being made using the MRI’s computer. What to expect? You will have all metal objects removed from your body. You will lie down on a narrow padded moveable table that will be slid into the scanner, through a circular opening. You will feel nothing while the scan is in progress, but some people can feel slightly claustrophobic, or closed in, whilst inside the scanner. The scanner can make quite loud noises. You will be asked to remain still and hold your breath on command. There are staff present; they will not necessarily remain in the room, but will speak with you via an intercom system and will be viewing the procedure constantly through a windowed control room, from where they will run the scanner. Some procedures will require contrast medium. Contrast medium is a substance that makes the image of the MRI clearer. Contrast can be given by mouth, or by injection into the bloodstream. The scan time will vary depending on the type of examination required, but as a rule it will take around 30 minutes.

An X-ray is a high frequency, high energy wave form. Although you may think of an X-ray as a picture of bones, a trained observer can also see air spaces, like the lungs and fluids associated with other soft tissues and organs. What to expect? You will have all metal objects removed from your body. You will be asked to remain still in a specific position and hold your breath on command. There are staff present who will be viewing the procedure constantly through a windowed control room. The examination time will vary depending on the type of procedure required, but as a rule it will take around 15 minutes.

In ultrasound, a beam of sound at a very high frequency (that cannot be heard) is sent into the body from a small vibrating crystal in a hand-held scanner head. When the beam meets a surface between tissues of different density, echoes of the sound beam are sent back into the scanner head. The time between sending the sound and receiving the echo back is fed into a computer, which in turn creates an image that is projected on a television screen. Ultrasound is a very safe type of imaging; this is why it is so widely used during pregnancy. Doppler Ultrasound A Doppler study is a noninvasive test that can be used to evaluate blood flow by bouncing high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) off red blood cells. The Doppler Effect is a change in the frequency of sound waves caused by moving objects. A Doppler study can estimate how fast blood flows by measuring the rate of change in its pitch (frequency). A Doppler study can help diagnose bloody clots, heart and leg valve problems and blocked or narrowed arteries. What to expect? After lying down, the area to be examined will be exposed. Generally a contact gel will be used between the scanner head and skin. The scanner head is then pressed against your skin and moved around and over the area to be examined. At the same time the internal images will appear onto a screen

Interventional Radiology procedures are minimally invasive and performed using real-time image guidance such as ultrasound or video x-ray. The images are used to direct these procedures, which are usually done using needles or catheters. The following Interventional procedures are performed at SRG: Autologous blood injections Ultrasound-guided steroid injections MRI arthrograms Nerve root blocks Discograms Epidural steroid injections Facet joint injections

With CT you can differentiate many more things than with a normal X-ray. A CT image is created by using an X-ray beam, which is sent through the body from different angles, and by using a complicated mathematical process the computer of the CT is able to produce an image. This allows cross-sectional images of the body without cutting it open. The CT is used to view all body structures but especially soft tissue such as body organs (heart, lungs, liver etc.). What to expect? You will lie down on a narrow padded moveable table that will be slid into the scanner, through a circular opening. You will feel nothing while the scan is in progress, but some people can feel slightly claustrophobic or closed in, whilst inside the scanner. You will be asked to remain still and hold your breath on command. There are staff present, but they will not necessarily remain in the room, but will speak with you via an intercom system and will be viewing the procedure constantly through a windowed control room, from where they will run the scanner. Some procedures will require Contrast Medium. Contrast medium is a substance that makes the image of the CT or MRI clearer. Contrast medium can be given by mouth, rectally, or by injection into the bloodstream. The scan time will vary depending on the type of examination required, but as a rule it will take around 30 minutes.

Nuclear Medicine SPECT-CT, (sometime referred to as scintigraphy), uses radioactive tracers that are injected into a vein to assess the function of organs and musculoskeletal disorders at a molecular level. Radiation doses are comparable to x-ray examinations. Reactions to the tracers are extremely rare and the tests are therefore exceptionally safe and well tolerated. Bone scanning is a well-established technique and is one of the most reliable, sensitive and valuable procedures in scintigraphy. The scan can detect abnormalities weeks or months before routine skeletal x-rays. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is an imaging modality that combines conventional scintigraphic and computed tomographic (CT) methods and has revolutionised imaging of the skeletal system. We are able to provide reporting of bone scans and SPECT/CT studies. These studies are available to referrers online using InteleViewer and InteleConnect. Nuclear Medicine studies include whole body bones scans, hepatobiliary/gall bladder, infection/tumour, thyroid, renal, parathyroid, gastric emptying, colonic transit scans and sentinel node mapping. The modalities are particularly useful in situations where MRI is contraindicated e.g. pacemakers or MRI/CT image quality is compromised with metal implants. It is the only method able to localise areas of increased bone turnover in response to mechanical stress or endocrine, neoplastic and inflammatory conditions. See more details here, or contact SRG.