St mary medical center for imaging & radiation oncology

Why St. Mary’s Health System

The imaging team at St. Mary’s Health System provide a range of imaging tests to diagnose and monitor healing for bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and joints. They understand how important it is to have accurate answers to what may be ailing a patient, and they are committed to the highest level of professional excellence to ensure patients get the care they need and deserve – put minds at ease.

We know that the road to recovery starts with the right diagnosis. That’s why we provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic services within our diagnostic imaging department. We’ve invested in the latest technologies, giving you an accurate and timely diagnosis.

This advanced technology is only strengthened by our knowledgeable technologists and staff who perform diagnostic testing with personal care and attention. They take the time to explain each procedure, so you’ll know what to anticipate every step of the way.

• CT Scan
• MRI
• Nuclear Medicine
• X-ray
• 3D Mammograms
• Interventional Radiology

At St. Mary’s Health System, our patients have access to Computed Tomography or CT scans. A CT scan is a non-invasive diagnostic test that can be used to visualize nearly all parts of the body and diagnose disease or injury. It’s also helpful to plan for medical or surgical treatment as it is much more detailed than an X-ray.

Learn More

Our Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI suite, is a state-of-the-art facility designed with you in mind. MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed, high-resolution pictures of organs, soft tissues and bone. Here, you’ll have access to the latest MRI technology in a stress-free, patient-friendly environment.

Learn More

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases and other abnormalities within the body. Physicians use nuclear medicine to visualize the structure and function of an organ, tissue, bone or system of the body.

Learn More

Think you might have a broken bone? Come on in for an X-ray. An X-ray machine produces a small burst of radiation that passes through the body, recording an image on a special digital image recording plate. This allows us to diagnose your injury or illness quickly and accurately.

Learn More

St. Mary’s Health System offers 3D Mammography, also called Tomosynthesis, for breast cancer screening. Breast tomosynthesis helps radiologists see breast tissue better by decreasing the effect of overlapping areas.

Learn More

Our highly skilled Interventional Radiologists offer minimally invasive procedures for diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and post procedure care.

The Interventional Radiology Lab performs approximately 25 different procedures including vascular imaging and intervention (angioplasty/stenting), urologic drainage/stent insertions, vertebroplasty, permanent ports, and PICC lines for long-term therapy. Imaging and Intervention for all types of dialysis access is offered as well.

Interventional Radiology

Bone Density Scanning (DEXA)

DEXA is the preferred technique for measuring bone mineral density (BMD). DEXA scanning focuses on two main areas of the skeleton, the hip and spine. Although osteoporosis involves the whole body, measurements of BMD can be predictive of fractures.

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology is some of the most advanced imaging technology to date. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to form images of the body. Since MRI does not use any ionizing radiation, it may be recommended in preference to CT, when either could yield the same information.

Our new state of the art 3T Vida scanner with BioMatrix technology automatically adjusts to you to deliver an MRI that is precise, comfortable, and fast.

CT

Computed Tomography (CT or CAT scan) combines a series of X-ray views taken from many different angles and computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones and soft tissues inside the body. Saint Mary’s now offers a 64 slice CT scanner. The GE 660 is the latest in its class and is twice as fast as the typical 64 slice scanner. For precise guidance when performing biopsies and drainages we offer CT guided interventions.

Interventional Radiology

Our interventional radiology system includes a dedicated interventional radiology hybrid operating suite. This system is a full OR with integrated intravascular ultrasound. The suite can also be used for conventional invasive vascular imaging. When a case gets complicated, surgery can be performed and there is no need to move the patient. The suite is set up with anesthesia, positive and negative air flow and a full patient monitoring system. During these procedures the suite is staffed with surgery and open heart nurses and interventional radiology technologist.

Ultrasound

Our ultrasound technology includes our IE 33, Logic E9, Voluson E8 and Vivid E9 with advanced 3D cardiac software and advanced probe technology.

Cardiovascular Ultrasound

Cardiovascular Ultrasound includes echocardiography (sonogram of the heart in adults, children, and newborns) and vascular ultrasound. This technology uses high-frequency sound waves to image and obtain hemodynamic data about the heart and vasculature (arteries and veins). Ultrasound exams are noninvasive, painless, and, using sophisticated transducers, produce moving pictures of the heart structure (valves, walls, and chambers) and function (blood flow). Saint Mary’s Cardiovascular Ultrasound imagers are equipped with advanced 3D imaging as well as special software to evaluate early heart muscle damage (strain imaging). We also use a broad array of transducers to enable evaluation of patients of all ages, including newborn babies and children. Transesophageal echocardiography is used to support Saint Mary’s structural heart program where sophisticated valve procedures are performed.

In our vascular ultrasound area we obtain real-time images of arteries and veins in the body to assess blood flow and abnormalities. We can evaluate blood flow to the arms, legs, brain, and kidneys. We also perform detailed mapping of the veins contributing to varicosities and lower extremity wounds.

We offer state of the art cardiac ultrasound technology to support Saint Mary’s Structural Heart program. With this latest technology we can capture the anatomy and structure of the heart prior to cardiac interventions including TAVR and Mitraclip.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is a modality in medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity of, or to treat a variety of diseases. Because nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, they offer the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages, as well as a patient’s immediate response to therapeutic interventions.

At our downtown campus we have two GE discovery dual head gamma cameras with advanced software applications that are much faster and provide significantly improved image resolution. At the Center For Health, a dedicated triple headed gamma camera for cardiac imaging has been installed.

PET

Positron emission tomography (PET scan) is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. A PET scan measures sugar (glucose) metabolism to evaluate organs.

Our combined PET/CT scans provide images that pinpoint the anatomic location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. The combined scans have been shown to provide more accurate diagnoses than the two scans performed separately as in PET/CT fusion.

X-RAY

All of our X-ray equipment uses digital technology. Images appear on-site and are viewable for immediate interpretation. In the OR, this allows the surgeons to immediately see high quality imaging, seconds after an exposure. This has reduced the need for some fluoro which decreases radiation exposure to patients and staff.

Women’s Imaging Services

We offer the latest in imaging services for women and are dedicated to providing a comprehensive line of Women’s Health services.

Mammography

Our mammography systems offer 3D tomosynthesis and upright stereotactic breast biopsy which improves quality and accuracy. Our mammography suites provide privacy and comfort and our locations make it convenient to be seen.

Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS)

Saint Mary’s now offers the area’s first FDA approved whole breast ultrasound system for women who have dense breast tissue. The Invenia ABUS can provide additional information when used in conjunction with mammography.

ABUS is covered by most insurances

SAVI SCOUT®

Saint Mary’s is Nevada’s only certified wire-free facility.

In seeking a more compassionate and precise approach to breast cancer tumor localization, Saint Mary’s Health Network has adopted the SAVI SCOUT® wire-free radar localization system for breast conserving surgeries. Previously surgeons relied on placement of a wire into the tumor adding additional time, inconvience, and discomfort on the day of surgery. SAVI SCOUT® is a new efficient and precise approach to localization and surgical guidance and helps surgeons remove cancerous tissue with greater confidence.

Prior to SCOUT, the most common approach for localizing breast tumors was wire localization. With wire localization, a radiologist would place a thin, hooked wire through the skin to the tumor location. The surgeon would then use the wire to locate the tumor. This procedure would be done on the day of surgery and because the time between the wire placement and surgery can be several hours, this added procedure can be the cause of added worry and discomfort.

The SCOUT® wire-free radar localization system is a clinically proven, FDA cleared, zero-radiation approach to targeting tumors and breast lesions. SCOUT uses a unique radar signal to detect a reflector, the size of a grain of rice, that can be placed at the tumor site at any time during the course of treatment and at the patients’ convenience. During the procedure, the surgeon scans the breast using the SCOUT guide to precisely and efficiently locate the reflector to within 1mm of accuracy.

The ability to precisely locate tumors increases the probability of complete cancer removal and reduces the likelihood of needing follow-up surgeries – a huge advantage for early-state breast cancer patients. In addition, the ability to strategically plan the incision may result in better cosmetic outcomes.

SCOUT is also uniquely suited for marking tumors and lymph nodes prior to neoadjuvant therapy because the SCOUT reflector does not interfere with imaging studies that are needed after treatment to see if the tumor has shrunk.