New CT Scan at Memorial Medical Center-Livingston Scans Images in Less Time

Memorial Medical Center-Livingston introduces one of the world’s first Computed Tomography (CT) scanners that adapts to virtually any patient while reducing the wait time for results. On Tuesday, January 31, skilled technicians in the Imaging Department scanned the first patient using the state-of-the art the 128-slice SOMATOM® Definition AS-plus CT scan with Saphir technology from Siemens Healthcare.

Memorial Medical Center-Livingston is the only hospital from Houston to Tyler to obtain this technology. “This kind of equipment is typically found only in cities with populations of 500,000 or more. You don’t usually see a CT like this in a town our size,” said Director of Radiology, Cardiopulmonary and Cardiac monitoring Doug Wilder.

In just seconds, the new machine scans a patient for a wide range of medical conditions, from trauma to stroke. In minutes, the CT scan provides accurate, more detailed results compared to the previous half-hour wait time.

Additionally, because of the Saphir technology, the Definition AS-plus CT scan reduces the amount of radiation required to perform the scan, which significantly lowers the patient’s risk for developing cancer. In fact, the Saphir technology can reduce radiation exposure by nearly 50 percent, which represents a significant financial commitment by Memorial to provide the very best services available.

Factors, such as breathing problems or weight issues, can complicate the imaging process, making it difficult for doctors to acquire the images necessary to provide a confident diagnosis.

However, with the SOMATOM Definition AS-plus in Livingston, skilled professionals in the Imaging Department can rapidly view more of the patient’s body with clearer images. The scanner may also eliminate the need for follow-up tests and potentially shorten hospital stays.

Patients are also more comfortable because of the equipment’s more open design and the shorter amount of time required on the table during the scan.

Stroke victims will particularly benefit from the new CT scan. The rapid and overall clearer images allow physicians more time to administer life-saving treatments in the event of a stroke.

“The new 128-slice Seimens CT scan with Saphir technology will allow much faster and higher resolution exams, expanding our capabilities to include new areas such as CT coronary angiography and CT neuroperfusion studies for enhanced treatment for stroke patients,” said Dr. William Avery, DO. “While the new capabilities are too numerous to list, we specifically want to emphasize Memorial’s commitment to patient care.”

The Definition AS-plus CT scan may also prove particularly valuable in treating obese patients, an epidemic afflicting one in three Americans. The system meets the challenge of testing larger patients by offering a wide 78-centimeter bore, a broad imaging range and 500-pound table-weight capacity.

The fully digital equipment comes equipped with Syngo.via software used by physicians in the post-processing phase. Livingston physicians can now dictate a study phenomenally faster. After the scan, the software detects what study had been done and processes it for the physician to begin dictating. Only approximately two dozen hospitals in the nation – including the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota – currently utilize the software for study dictation.

Cutline:
Senior CT technologist Emilio Ochoa, RTR CT, (left) and Director Radiology, Cardiopulmonary and Cardiac monitoring Doug Wilder (right) prepare patient Kathi Riley, of Livingston, for one of the first CT scans performed at Memorial Medical Center-Livingston with the new 128-slice SOMATOM® Definition AS-plus CT scan with Saphir technology from Siemens Healthcare.

Aspen Box with Siemens Healthcare monitors the computer as Senior CT technologist Emilio Ochoa, RTR CT prepares patient Kathi Riley for her CT scan.