Charleston Radiologists, PA
9313 Medical Plaza Drive, Suite 302
Charleston, SC 29406
(843) 824-0606  -  (843) 824-0909 FAX
 

CT IMAGING

GENERAL INFORMATION

LUNG CANCER SCREENING

CARDIAC SCORING

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  Cardiac Scoring
Cardiac Scoring is a new, pain-free, non-invasive, inexpensive procedure requiring less than 10 or 15 minutes. Using CT imaging equipment with sub-second scanning ability, the examination takes 70-90 images of your coronary arteries without any injections, needles or other inconveniences. The amount of calcium or plaque detected in the coronary arteries is used to establish your cardiac score. The cardiac score is then calculated based on the findings and correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The radiation exposure during cardiac scoring is very small. No intravenous injections or needles are required. The procedure is safe and also simple. This requires a prescription by a referring physician to perform this test.

First you complete a brief questionnaire provided by the radiology department.
Next you lay down on the imaging table where a CT technologist places a few EKG leads on your chest and asks you to hold your breath while the images are taken (for a few seconds). Subsequently, the radiologist uses high-tech software to calculate your cardiac score based on the images taken. Then results should be available within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

Featuring Dr. Joseph Mullaney
Topic: Uterine Fibroids

Q: What are Uterine Fibroids?
A: Fibroids are benign tumors that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. Fibroids range in size and may be located in various parts of the uterus. Women with fibroids do not always have symptoms, but depending on their size and location, they can cause pain and heavy bleeding.

Q: Who is most likely to have Uterine Fibroids?
A: Uterine fibroids are very common though they don’t always cause problems. 20-40% of women over 35 will develop fibroids of a significant size and African-American women are at a higher risk than the rest of the population.

Q: How are Uterine Fibroids diagnosed?
A: Fibroids are usually diagnosed during a gynecologic internal examination. The presence of fibroids is most often confirmed by an abdominal ultrasound. Fibroids can also be confirmed using magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques.

Q: How can Interventional Radiologists treat Uterine Fibroids?
A: Interventional Radiologists can perform two minimally invasive procedures to remove uterine fibroids. These procedures can often can replace the need for major surgeries such as hysterectomy. These are Uterine Fibroid Embolization and Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRGFU).

Q: What is Uterine Fibroid Embolization?
A: This approach to the treatment of fibroids blocks the arteries that supply blood to the fibroids causing them to shrink. It is a minimally-invasive procedure, which means it requires only a tiny nick in the skin, and is performed by an interventional radiologist while the patient is conscious but sedated — drowsy and feeling no pain. Advantages over surgery include no incision and a shorter recovery time.

Q: What is Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound?
A:Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRGFU) is a non-invasive outpatient, procedure that uses high intensity focused ultrasound waves to ablate (destroy) the fibroid tissue. An interventional radiologist uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see inside the body to deliver the treatment directly to the fibroid. This procedure, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2004, is a newer treatment option for women with fibroids.

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