J. Arthur Morris Imaging CenterJ. Arthur Morris Imaging Center Dedicated
The Radiology team provides a full range of procedures including MRI, CT, Mammography, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology.
Nuclear Medicine
DRMC's Nuclear Medicine program offers the latest generation of imaging technology. A new enhanced Dual Head Camera with PET scanning capabilities significantly improves diagnostic capabilities, image quality and patient comfort (PET scanning is a simple imaging study that allows physicians to view the metabolic function of various organs and tissues in the body). Cardiac exams are enhanced by nuclear medicine capabilities such as cardiac gating, left ventricular wall motion and assessment of muscle viability.
Mammography and Steriotactic Breast Biopsy
DRMC’s advanced Siemens Mammomat 3000 Nova system serves as a screening and diagnostic unit for mammography. It is designed to reduce the discomfort of breast compression during a mammogram by determining the precise degree of compression required, based on the patient's individual breast characteristics. The device also reduces radiation to the patient.
Breast cancer remains the second leading cancer in women. With early detection through mammograms, 97 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive, according to the American Cancer Society. The National Cancer Institute has issued a statement supporting screening mammography for women ages 40-49. The NCI joins the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association and many other national medical and women's groups in supporting mammography for women beginning in their 40s.
In addition to Mammography, minimally invasive breast biopsies can be performed with a mobile digital stereotactic breast core biopsy unit. This highly accurate procedure offers many advantages compared to traditional surgical biopsies. It is relatively painless, takes only about an hour to complete and minimizes scarring common with surgical biopsies. Please be prepared to schedule your screening mammogram six to eight weeks in advance.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Patients who benefit from MRI procedures include those with heart and vascular disease, stroke, muscle and joint disorders, especially involving the hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow and wrist, abdominal illnesses and brain and spinal disorders.
Patients who struggle with claustrophobia during scanning may appreciate the new system. Not only will they be in the machine for a shorter duration, they will also find that the "donut" opening on the new MRI equipment is larger.
DRMC’s new MRI system brings several advantages ranging from unprecedented high speed and clarity to patient comfort and the capability to perform new procedures.
Positive Emission Tomography (PET)
PET is a clinically proven and highly accurate imaging technique that assists in the diagnosis and management of many diseases. PET scans markedly improve the capability of physicians to diagnose cancer in its early stages, define the stage of the tumor, and determine if current treatment is working effectively. In addition to cancer, PET may be used to help diagnose and treat diseases such as coronary artery disease, alzheimer's and seizure disorders. PET has been shown to uncover disease that might otherwise go undetected, and enables patients to avoid more invasive exams or exploratory surgery.
PET also allows a physician to examine large areas of the body in a single scanning session, producing moving images of the human body rather than anatomical images created by conventional X-ray, CT scanning or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Instead of detecting changes in the physical size or structure of internal organs, as traditional imaging technologies do, PET detects changes in the cellular function, which take place before physical changes occur.
A patient receiving a PET scan is first injected with a small amount of radioactive glucose (the tracer) that is distributed throughout the body. There is no danger from this injection. After the injection, the patient relaxes for about an hour. Then, he or she lies on a scanning bed, similar in appearance to a CT scanner. The bed moves slowly through the scanner while it detects the injected tracer. When the imaging procedure is complete, the information acquired is converted into streaming images subsequently interpreted by the radiologists.
PET procedures are covered by Medicare and most private insurance companies for patients meeting the criteria for a PET scan. Patients must be referred by their personal physician.
Our Radiology department participates in separate accreditations, thereby ensuring patients that DRMC follows the best quality of care and imaging standards.
For appointments, please call the J. Arthur Imaging Center at (562) 904-5400.
