Unless you receive a barium enema or an upper gastrointestinal x-ray, it's not often that you'll have direct contact with a radiologist. MeritCare Imaging Services is behind the scenes diagnosing and treating diseases through the use of X-rays and other procedures.
Services
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Diagnostic Radiology
Radiologists work closely with medical professionals to aid in the diagnosis of disease by providing imaging services through the use of state-of-the-art technology. Some diagnostic radiology services include MRI, CT, ultrasound and mammography.
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Neuroradiology
Neuroradiology is the diagnosis and treatment of head, neck and spine disease. A vast assortment of advanced diagnostic and minimally invasive surgical procedures are offered by MeritCare specialists.
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Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine provides diagnostic imaging of physiology and pathology using radioactive tracer agents. These services are provided on an inpatient and outpatient basis, including PET/CT.
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Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Vascular and Interventional Radiology exams provide expert state-of-the-art minimally invasive image-guided diagnosis and therapy for a wide variety of conditions of the chest, abdomen and extremities.
Procedures
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PET/CT
PET/CT imaging provides physicians with information about the body's chemistry, cell function and location of disease. It provides information not available through CT, MRI or X-ray. Learn more about how this exam works.
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Mammography
Mammography is an X-ray of the breast to detect breast cancer. Learn more about mammography.
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MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a procedure which gathers information about your body, and through the use of a computer, sends it as a record for your doctor to see without X-rays. Learn more about MRI.
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Ultrasound
An ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to make still and live video pictures of the heart, digestive, reproductive or urinary tracts and other soft tissue structures within the body. New 4D ultrasound technology is now being used at MeritCare for abdomen, breast, vascular, urology and OB/GYN scans. Learn more about this procedure.
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Angiogram
Through fluoroscopy, a catheter is guided from a vessel in the arm, neck or groin to the desired point in the body. Then, dye is injected into the vessel(s) and several fluoroscopic projections are examined for further analysis.
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X-Ray
X-rays are a form of radiation, like light or radio waves, that can be focused into a beam, much like a flashlight beam. Unlike a beam of light, however, X-rays can pass through most objects, including the human body.
X-Rays can produce an image when detected by a X-Ray sensitive film or computed radiography screen. Dense tissues in the body, such as bones, absorb many of the X-rays and appear white on an X-ray image.
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Picture Archival Communication System
Picture Archival Communication System (PACS) uses digital electronics for image acquisition, distribution, interpretation and transmission of patient exams. PACS also allows images to be sent across the MeritCare network to any location.
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AAA
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially life-threatening enlargement of the aorta, the main artery of the body that supplies blood to all organs. The minimally invasive endovascular repair of AAA has many benefits for patients.
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CT
A computed tomography (CT) scan is a special type of X-ray that can produce detailed pictures of structures inside the body.
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DEXA Scan
Bones naturally become thinner as you grow older. Excessive bone loss can result in osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become thin and brittle, making them more likely to break. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measures bone mineral density on bones of the lower spine and hip. If bone density is lower than normal, steps can be taken to increase bone strength and reduce the risk of fracture.
Interested in a career in the radiology field?
Find out more about
MeritCare's Radiology Program.