Good eating habits and regular exercise are very important for maintaining health, and when diagnosed with a chronic lung disease, it's even more important.

There is a risk of an allergic reaction—which may be serious—whenever contrast material containing iodine is injected. If you have a history of allergy to x-ray dye, your radiologist may advise that you take special medication for 24 hours before CTA to lessen the risk of allergic reaction. Another option is to undergo a different exam that does not call for contrast material injection.

CT scans allow doctors to see images of your internal organs and structures, including your heart and cardiovascular system, in great detail from a variety of angles. This gives your physicians critical information more quickly and, in many cases, more economically than they could achieve with other tests or invasive techniques.

Not all CT examinations require the use of a contrast agent. When a contrast agent is required, it is because the radiologist and referring physician determine that it is necessary for diagnosis. Contrast agents are considered to be safe and side effects are uncommon. The benefits associated with the improved imaging of particular organs generally outweigh the low risk of allergic reaction.

A Cat Scan, CT, is shaped like a doughnut. A CT takes less time then a MRI and obtains information through x-rays. The obtained images are "slices" of a patient's anatomy. The procedure is pain free and takes about 15 minutes to do. Patients may be asked to drink barium for this test.

The risks associated with a PET scan are minimal. They are considered safe and there has not been a report of an adverse event with this type of use. The risk from radiation exposure of the amount used is considered to be similar to other every day risks, such as driving a car.

Insurance Companies and HMO's generally do not pay for screening tests, so the Cardiac Calcium Score, Lung Cancer Screening and Virtual Colonoscopy are not usually covered. These screening tests must be paid for at the time the services are performed. We do accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. For more information about Virtual Colonoscopy click on Virtual Colonoscopy.

Intravenous contrast material is often, but not always, used in today's CT and MRI studies to help with diagnosis. An iodine based material is used for CT and gadolinium is used for MRI. The purpose is to “enhance” the tissues and organs of the body in such a way as to make them better stand out from each other, and to allow better visualization of abnormal areas within normal areas. This ability to differentiate normal from abnormal is important to make the correct diagnosis.

The radiation dose for a brain CT scan is comparable to the dose used for dental x-rays. Because CT scans reveal the exact shape and location of soft tissues as well as bone, computed tomography is useful in diagnosing a number of conditions.

Unlike surgery, the risks of CT guided biopsy are infinitely less. However, certain complications can and do occur and include the following:

You may or may not benefit from being in a research study. No one can tell for sure. There are risks and side effects in virtually any clinical trial. Ask the research staff about the specific risks and side effects in the study you are interested in.

part of your initial consultation, your physician will review your expectations for surgery. At that time, he can provide a realistic picture of what surgery can and cannot accomplish. Depending on which procedures you are interested in, we will provide you with a list of risks reported in the medical literature associated with procedures you are considering. Although risks from cosmetic surgery are uncommon, every patient should be fully informed of the risks associated with surgery.

In the last few years, the availability of high speed CT scanners has allowed the radiologists to rapidly scan the body for the presence of any cancers. Because the images are obtained in a fast manner, the risk of exposure to radiation is minimal. The Total Body CT scan analyzes three major areas of the body: the lungs, the heart, and the abdomen/pelvis. The lung CT can detect early, potentially malignant nodules.

For those who have partial renal failure, injection of contrast may not be possible because of the risk of inducing complete renal failure. CT scanning is not the primary method of examining the inside or lumen of the hollow organs, such as the stomach and bowel, with the exception of virtual colonoscopy, which can be used to evaluate the lumen of the large bowel. CT Scanning of the abdomen may not be as sensitive in identifying gallstones as ultrasound of the abdomen.

CT and MRI scans are "anatomic" imaging modalities, which means they look at size and shape of organs and body structures. A PET scan is a "metabolic" imaging modality, which means it looks at function. The information received from a PET scan is different from any other test that is available.

Examine the pulmonary arteries in the lungs to rule out pulmonary embolism, a serious but treatable condition. Visualize blood flow in the renal arteries (those supplying the kidneys) in patients with high blood pressure and those suspected of having kidney disorders. Narrowing (stenosis) of a renal artery is a cause of high blood pressure (hypertension) in some patients and can be corrected.

MR study is performed first as it does not involve radiation. It provides excellent information regarding the soft tissues (nerves, muscles etc.) of the spine. However, CT studies better demonstrate bone and bony disease. Therefore, often the two are ordered when a spinal operation is performed.

The more information that your MRI specialist has when they review your study, the more specific the interpretation will be. Correlations with other studies are often helpful.

Answer: Though PAMF has the equipment and ability to provide full-body scans, this service is not currently available to patients who are healthy and asymptomatic. At this time, full body scans for such patients are not supported by organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Food and Drug Administration or American College of Radiology. As such, full-body scans are not currently offered through our Executive Health Program.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two most common causes of death in the United States, accounting for almost 3 out of every 4 deaths. The body scan, performed in a matter of minutes, screens for the presence of heart disease, certain cancers, as well as other abnormalities. The purpose of a body scan is to identify abnormalities and diseases at an early stage. Studies have shown that early detection of certain diseases may substantially increase the chance of recovery.

There are no specific guidelines but individuals who have risk factors for cancer and heart disease include:

Detection, diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases that can lead to stroke, kidney failure or even death What preparations are required for a Total Body CT scan? One should not eat 2-3 hrs prior to the procedure. When arriving to the radiology suite, one should wear loose-fitting clothing to your exam or a gown can be provided.

Because PET allows study of body function, it can help physicians detect alterations in biochemical processes that suggest disease before changes in anatomy are apparent with other imaging tests, such as CT or MRI. Because the radioactivity is very short-lived, your radiation exposure is low. The substance amount is so small that it does not affect the normal processes of the body.

Clinical trials that are well-designed and well-executed are the best approach for eligible participants to: The protocol may require more of their time and attention than would a non-protocol treatment, including trips to the study site, more treatments, hospital stays or complex dosage requirements.

Depending upon the reason for your referral to the Hyperbaric unit, HBOT can provide you with one or more of the following benefits:

You need to decide. If you use the patch correctly and follow this stop smoking program, you can double your chances of quitting smoking.

During RFA, we ablate the tumor and a margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor to insure the entire tumor is ablated. We obtain a one week CT scan to evaluate the ablated lesion. The tumor area appears larger than on the pre-operative CT scan. This is a successful ablation. In the later CT scans this lesion shrinks in size and shows no blood flow. These are our criterias for a treatment success.