St. Bernards Imaging Center

St. Bernards radiology department provides high quality digital diagnostic x-rays, which are available for immediate review by our physicians. The radiology department is staffed by registered technologist.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique using magnets, radio waves and a computer that produces images of the body.  Unlike some other imaging tests, this type of scan does not use radiation. Your doctor may order an MRI with contrast. This means that during the scan, you will be given a contrast agent (sometimes called a “dye”) intravenously.  This agent typically contains a metal called gadolinium.

You can expect your MRI to go something like this:

1. You will arrive at your appointment, change into a gown or scrub pants, and remove any metal objects (like jewelry) from your body.
2. You will lie on the scanning table and be moved into the MRI machine, which is a tube with openings on both ends. The MRI technologist will be able to communicate with you through an intercom.
3. The machine will make beeping and clicking noises. They may be quite loud.  The MRI technologist will provide you with earplugs for your protection from the noise.
4. You will need to lay still for the duration of the scan.
5. The scan will last between 20 and 90 minutes. The time depends on what part of the body is being scanned.

Our dedicated team of registered technologists specializes in breast, abdomen, pelvic, thyroid, obstetrics and vascular studies. Ultrasound assisted procedures at the Imaging Center include breast core biopsy, breast mammotome biopsy, breast needle localization, thyroid biopsy and cyst aspiration.

A Computerized Tomography scan, also called a CT scan, is a type of imaging that uses X-ray techniques to create detailed images of the body. It then uses a computer to create cross-sectional images, also called slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body. CT scan images show more detail than plain X-rays do.

During a CT scan, you are briefly exposed to a type of energy called ionizing radiation. The amount of radiation is greater than the amount from a plain X-ray because the CT scan gathers more-detailed information.  Healthcare professionals use the lowest dose of radiation to get the needed medical information.

A special dye called contrast is needed for some CT scans. The dye appears bright on images. So it makes certain areas of the body that are being scanned show up better. This can help make blood vessels, intestines or other structures easier to see.

Depending on which part of your body is being scanned, you may be asked to:

• Take off some or all your clothing and wear a hospital gown.
• Remove metal objects, such as belts, jewelry, dentures and eyeglasses, that might affect image results.
• Not eat or drink for a few hours before your scan.

During the procedure

• A CT scanner is shaped like a large doughnut standing on its side. You lie on a narrow table with a motor that slides through the center of the scanner. Straps and pillows may be used to help you stay in place.
• While the table moves you into the scanner, the X-ray tube rotates around you. Each time it rotates, it gives images of thin slices of your body. You may hear buzzing and whirring noises.
• A CT technologist sits in another room and can see and hear you. To help you keep still during the scan, the technologist might ask you to hold your breath at certain points. Movement can blur the images.

Scans take only a few minutes. The whole process most often takes about 30 to 90 minutes.

An annual mammogram is one of the most important exams for women 40 and older. St. Bernards features full-field 3-d digital mammography, producing superior images that allow radiologists the ability to zoom in and closely examine areas, as needed.
The Imaging Center has three digital mammography units to make scheduling easy and to help reduce patient wait times. A fourth unit is contained in St. Bernards Mobile Women’s Health Unit.

If you’re 40 years of age and over, click HERE to see if you should request an appointment.

St. Bernards Mobile Women’s Health Unit is a large pink RV-type vehicle that travels to clinics, employer locations, public events and rural areas to provide breast care. The goal of the unit is to improve access to care by reaching women who may not otherwise receive prevention services, such as mammography. An education coordinator travels with the unit to spread the message of the importance of preventative care and women’s health.

St. Bernards is the first in the area to offer bilateralenhanced breast MRI, used to investigate breast concerns detected by a mammogram or other imaging services. Another use is to evaluate the progress stage of breast cancer when it is detected so appropriate treatment can be determined.

This technology allows for a needle biopsy of lesions, rather than a surgical biopsy. This shortens the time to obtain a biopsy and the subsequent wait for results.

ABUS (automated breast ultrasound) is a safe, painless, radiation-free and non-invasive 3D ultrasound used to help improve the early detection of breast cancer. ABUS is specifically developed for whole breast imaging and helps our doctors find breast problems, especially in women with dense breast tissue, making it easier to detect and treat any issues early.

Facts to know about dense breasts:

• Breasts are made of fat and glands that make milk, held together by fibrous tissue. The more glands and fibrous tissue compared to fatty tissue that a woman has, the “denser” her breast tissue.
• Many women have dense breasts. This is normal and common. In fact, nearly half (over 40%) of women over age 40 have dense breasts.
• When radiologists look at mammograms, they can see how dense the breasts are.
• Dense tissue appears white on a mammogram, and so does cancer. This makes it harder for radiologists to see cancer in dense breasts. Because cancer can be missed, it is often found when larger and at a later stage in women with dense breasts.
• Dense breasts are also a risk factor for breast cancer. A woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the level of density in her breasts.

I have dense breasts...now what? 

• Dense breast tissue increases the risk of developing breast cancer and of having cancer missed on a mammogram. There are additional tests that can help find cancer that may be hidden on the mammogram, including screening breast ultrasound. Talk with your health professional about these additional tests.

Bone Densitometry testing is a non-invasive procedure conducted in our radiology department. This test is used to evaluate a patient's risk for osteoporosis. It is also used to determine a patient's response to osteoporosis therapy. The procedure is painless and requires approximately 10 minutes to perform.

At St. Bernards, no woman must face breast cancer alone. The Imaging Center provides the region’s only breast health navigator—a registered nurse practitioner with breast health specialist certification—who assists patients with one-on-one care from screening through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

St. Bernards Imaging Center - Breast Navigator
Dee Collins, RNP, CN-BP
870.207.8000

In addition to imaging services, St. Bernards offers genetic testing for hereditary risk assessment to determine the presence of mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which put women at a higher risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer.