When a doctor needs to see inside your body to look for, diagnose or treat a medical condition, they may order certain imaging tests. FirstHealth provides safe and accurate imaging and radiology services. Some of our imaging procedures include:
CT Scan
A CT (Computed tomography or sometimes called CAT scan) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. A CT scan combines special X-ray equipment with computers to produce several images (or pictures) of the inside of the body. CT scans of internal organs, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels provide greater clarity and reveal more details than regular X-rays. Because it takes so many pictures so quickly, the scanner can be used to study the beating heart and the flow of blood through major arteries.
FirstHealth was one of the first in the state of North Carolina to install a CT scanner that simultaneously produces 64 cross-section images that can be viewed from any angle. FirstHealth offers GE’s Lightspeed™ VCT with ASiR.™* The sophisticated medical technology that helps doctors make an accurate diagnosis that now offers your physician the opportunity to lower radiation dose up to 80 percent.
CT's hours of operation are 24 hours per day at all hospitals. CT's hours of operation at FirstHealth Lee Campus are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mammography
MRI
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Using a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer, MRI produces detailed, three-dimensional pictures of organs and tissues. These detailed images allow physicians to better evaluate various parts of the body and certain diseases that may not be assessed adequately with other imaging methods such as X-ray, ultrasound or CT.
An Open MRI can reduce the discomfort and anxiety sometimes experienced with a traditional MRI tube. To accomodate these patients FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has the area's only TRUE Open MRI.
Children under the age of 10 often require sedation during an MRI. FirstHealth offers this service at Richmond Memorial for pediatric patients. The sedation is administered through a small IV placed in the child's hand before he/she enters the exam room. It will remain in place until the exam is completed. The child may feel a pinch when the IV needle is first inserted, but should not notice pain after that. Sedation is given one hour before the exam is performed and is monitored by an anesthesiologist.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine is a part of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities within the body.
In rare cases where certain types of cancer do not respond to chemotherapy alone, physicians may use a combination of chemotherapy and internal radiation therapy. The delivery of the chemical and radioactive agents to the tumor is guided by nuclear medicine imaging.
The patient is injected with a low dose of radioactive material that has been chemically tagged to collect in a particular organ. A special camera that detects gamma rays provides images to confirm that the radioactive material is going to the target site. Then a higher energy radioactive material combined with a powerful chemotherapy drug is injected to attack the cancer.
The latest in diagnostic imaging technology, PET (positron emission tomography) scans are a type of nuclear medicine imaging. This test produces images that show activity in body tissues. A substance that gives off a tiny amount of radiation is put into your body. This substance goes to the part of you body that is most active. A machine can then detect where that substance is.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
PET Scan
PET scans are especially useful in diagnosing cancer. If cancer is suspected, PET scans can help confirm or rule out that diagnosis, allowing some patients to avoid biopsies or other invasive procedures.
For patients who have had surgery or radiation therapy for cancer, PET scans can often tell doctors to what extent the treatment has been successful. PET imaging is used to look for cancer in the lungs and other organs, and it can help diagnose heart and Alzheimer’s disease.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Ultrasound is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. It has a wide range of uses including evaluating fetuses, assessing problems involving many of the body’s internal organs and measuring blood flow in the carotid arteries.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
X-Ray
An X-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body.
With digital radiography, X-ray technologists don’t have to wait for film to be processed and they don’t have to take a second X-ray if the first one is a little too dark or light. Instead of being printed on film, the image instantly appears on a computer screen and can be manipulated to improve contrast and clarity.
Digital radiography is used most often for taking chest X-rays, but it can be used to X-ray any part of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Interventional Radiology Procedures
Interventional radiology offers an alternative to the surgical treatment of many conditions and, in some cases, can eliminate the need for hospitalization.
Interventional radiologists are involved in the treatment of the patient as well as the diagnosis of disease. They treat a wide range of conditions “inside the body” from “outside the body” with small instruments or tools, such as catheters or wires and various X-ray and imaging techniques such as CT, MRI and ultrasound.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
