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News – Health-Related:
CT Scanner Provides Angiography at MCMC
- by Stephen Rupp, M.D., Interventional Radiologist
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The 64 Slice CT scanner in the Medical Imaging Department at MCMC was purchased last fall and is now able to provide CT Angiography (CTA). This procedure is used to visualize vessels throughout the body including scanning vessels in the brain, carotids, aorta, lungs, kidneys, abdomen, pelvis and all extremities.
 CTA is commonly used to examine pulmonary arteries for blood clots, visualize blood flow in the renal arteries, identify aneurysms in the aorta and other major blood vessels, to detect blood clots in large veins in the pelvis and legs, and to detect narrowing or obstruction of arteries in the legs.
The scan is performed simultaneously with a high speed contrast medium injection that is administered iimg align=right hspace=9 vspace=9 src=articles/pix/rupp.jpg>nto the patient’s vein. Compared to catheter angiography, CTA is much less expensive, less invasive and more patient-friendly. CT Angiographies can be scheduled by your physician’s office at MCMC’s Central Scheduling Department at (231) 592-4440.
Expanded Medical Imaging Services
As an Interventional Radiologist, Dr. Rupp has been able to provide expanded services to patients in this service area. In the past, patients had to travel to Grand Rapids for certain types of procedures. In addition to several types of breast biopsies, MCMC now offers image guided biopsies of the lung, liver, kidney and bone, placement of several types of venous access devises such as med ports, tunneled dialysis catheters and peripherally inserted central venous catheters, placement of several different types of drainage catheters, and insertion of several types of feeding tubes.
The Medical Imaging Department offers new services to some surgical patients allowing them to bypass the outpatient surgical services department. Patients scheduled for ultrasound guided thyroid or breast biopsy or stereotactic breast biopsy are now cared for in the Medical Imaging Department by a Registered Nurse This change has decreased the amount of time patients need to spend at the hospital.
If you have questions about procedures which can now be done at MCMC, call the Medical Imaging Department Interventional Radiology Coordinator at (231) 592-4298.
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