Medical Imaging and Vein Treatment
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Scheduling: (315) 452-2004
Vein Line: (315) 362-VEIN (8346)
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| Mission Statement |
The intent of St. Joseph's Imaging Associates is to provide the best possible patient care in a timely manner. This care is to be provided by well-trained individuals in an environment that fosters opportunity for personal growth and a sense of well-being.
As we deal with patients, many of whom are ill, it is imperative that our services are delivered expediently and with empathy and understanding.
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| High Quality Diagnostic Imaging Services |
St. Joseph's Imaging has been providing Radiology services to the community since 1976. We presently have offices in five convenient locations. A Board Certified Radiologist is present at each location for immediate results. Registered and licensed technologists perform CT, Ultrasound, X-ray, Bone Density, Digital Mammography, Digital Fluoroscopy and Nuclear Medicine examinations. The staff is extremely competent, friendly and compassionate. At St. Joseph's Imaging, we take the time to care about patients and offer a unique experience to those individuals requiring our services. All of our Imaging Centers accommodate emergency studies as needed, yet our patients are rarely kept waiting past their appointment times.
St. Joseph's Imaging is also the first medical facility in Central New York to connect all locations with a wide area network required to distribute digital images that are then reviewed on sophisticated work stations instead of on film. Our Picture Archive Communication System, or PACS, significantly increases the quality of care we provide to our patients. With PACS, images are never lost. They are always available for same day interpretation with comparison images on line rather than in traditional remote storage locations. This means images never have to be hand carried or mailed and unlike film, images on PACS are never disposed of. Images are also available to your physician for review, on line, with a personal computer.
St. Joseph's Imaging is also the first medical facility in the community to offer digital mammography. Patients obtaining a digital mammogram receive less radiation than with traditional film imaging. Digital images are also reviewed on workstations and the radiologist can manipulate the images by increasing contrast and resolution. The quality of these images is remarkable.
St. Joseph's Imaging has also taken the lead in the community to introduce new procedures such as, Virtual Colonography, Cardiac Scoring, Vertebroplasty, Uterine Fibroid Embolization, Peripheral Vascular Resistance and Ablation. When your physician prescribes a medical imaging study, let them know you would like to go to St. Joseph's Imaging. Choose the location nearest you and call our scheduling department at (315) 452-2004 for an appointment. Let the staff at St. Joseph's Imaging provide you with the latest technology, superior imaging examinations, accurate interpretations and compassionate surroundings.
- 5 Convenient Locations
- Fully Accredited by the American College of Radiology
- On Site Board Certified Radiologists
- Registered & Licensed X-Ray & Ultrasound Technologists
- Participating With Most Major Insurance Plans
- Same Day Interpretation of Results
- State of the Art Facilities and Equipment with the Latest Advances in Radiology
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| Slideshow / Video |
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| Directions to St. Joseph's Imaging |
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| Contact Us
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| What's new at St Joseph's Imaging? |
PACS (Picture Archiving Communications System) - St. Joseph's Imaging is the first Free Standing Imaging Center to offer PACS to the community. It provides fast, easy, universal access to diagnostic images and reports.
What is PACS and what does it do for you?
PACS is a process that allows the Radiologist to read images on a workstation similar to a highly sophisticated computer instead of reading on film. With PACS, images are obtained and sent to a server (large computer), from there they are distributed over a network to the Radiologist's workstation for interpretation. The images are then archived (stored), in two different locations where they can be retrieved as necessary. There are many significant advantages for patients when they obtain their imaging services from a group using PACS.
- No More Lost Films:Many patients have exams that require comparison with previous exams. Frequently, those prior studies are unavailable because they have been misplaced for various reasons.
- Previous Exams are Available Instantly:With PACS, prior studies can be retrieved from storage over the network in seconds. This means when a patient goes to St. Joseph's Imaging for a test, the results of that test are available with comparison images on the same day.
- Images Can Be Viewed By Many Physicians At The Same Time:With PACS, our Radiologist can view images, consult with another Specialist viewing the same images and even review the images with a patient's Physician all at the same time. Images never have to be hand carried or mailed.
- Images Are Never Disposed Of And They Are Maintained In Two Different Location:Normally, films are discarded according to State regulations and not retrievable over time. Films are also stored in only one location, as they are not duplicated. In the case of a disaster they could be gone forever.
- Images Are Available To A Designated Physician On A Standard Personal Computer With Secure Internet Access:At St. Joseph's Imaging, your personal Physician may view your images on his home or office computer.
St. Joseph's Imaging is the first Free Standing Imaging Center to offer PACS to the community. All four of our locations are connected to the System via a wide area network. Our CT scans; ultrasounds and digital fluoroscopy studies are read on workstations. The next time you are scheduled for one of these tests, ask us to provide you with your own images on CD.
Virtual Colonoscopy - A recently developed technique that uses a CT scanner and computer software to look inside the body without having to insert a long tip into the colon (conventional colonoscopy) or having to fill the colon with liquid barium (barium enema).
What is a Virtual Colonoscopy?
A virtual colonoscopy is the CT alternative to conventional colonoscopy.
How is a Virtual Colonoscopy Performed?
A small soft tip rectal tube is placed to allow air into the colon. The patient is then scanned, first lying face up and then face down on the CT table. The recorded CT images are then assembled using a computer program that creates both a 2 and a 3 dimensional model that is examined by the radiologist for polyps and other colon abnormalities. The entire examination should take no longer than fifteen minutes to complete. If a polyp or mass is detected, a conventional colonoscopy is then performed to remove the lesion.
Preparation:
To prepare for a virtual colonoscopy, the patient should follow a 2- day low residual diet and use a bowel preparation kit obtained at one of our offices. Because no sedation is used for the exam, the patient may resume normal activity at its completion.
Results:
Our radiologists will review the results of your CT scan with your doctor who will then explain them to you. Your doctor should have access to your scan results within 24 hours.
Coronary Artery Calcification Scanning - Heart CT - A rapid, non-invasive, pain-free procedure that measures the amount of calcium or plaque detected in your coronary arteries and used to establish your cardiac score.
A heart scan is a very fast CT scan of the heart. This new technology uses sophisticated software with a sub-second CT scanner to detect small amounts of calcium in the coronary arteries. The test is quick, simple and non-invasive.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. CAD occurs whenever arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the heart become clogged with plaque. The plaque build-up slows the blood-flow to the heart and increases the risk of myocardial infarction. Patients are usually diagnosed after they develop symptoms and display an abnormal response to invasive testing. Unfortunately, by that time, the atherosclerotic process is advanced and the opportunity for prevention has been missed.
Coronary Artery Calcification Scanning determines very accurately the presence and the severity of coronary artery calcification. Extensive research has determined that the presence of calcium in the coronary arteries is a good predictor of underlying heart disease. A calcium score >400 implies the presence of extensive CAD with a likelihood >90% of at least one significantly obstructed vessel. While calcium is a marker for CAD, it is important to remember that not all plaque is calcified and a negative heart scan does not mean a person is free of heart disease.
Here at St. Joseph's Imaging Associates, we assess cardiac calcium using General Electric's HiSpeed CTI Scanner, the software SmartScore and a vital sign monitor. SmartScore quantifies the calcified plaque in the calcium score guidelines. Here it is important to note, the clinical significance of a particular score is influenced by a patient's age and gender. We encourage patients to work with their physicians to determine the significance of their CAD scores and to make changes in the assessment of their risk factors for heart disease.
A heart scan may be useful in evaluating CAD in asymptomatic patients who have one or more risk factors for heart disease. A heart scan is not recommended for patients with known CAD, patients who are pregnant or patients with abnormally fast resting heart beats (tachycardia). In general, most studies have evaluated patients between the ages of 40 and 70. Clinical benefit is unlikely to be substantial in patients above the age of seventy and heart scanning is not recommended for these individuals.
Vertebroplasty - A minimally invasive treatment for vertebral compression fractures and osseous lesions.
A safe and effective treatment for the pain associated with compression fractures of the spinal vertebrae can be achieved by a procedure called perctuaneous vertebroplasty.
The typical indications for the procedure are patients with acute or subacute vertebral fracture not responding to medical pain management. Also, patients who cannot tolerate pain medications due to gastrointestinal complications or allergies are suitable candidates.
Painful fractures due to metastatic tumor within vertebrae can also be treated with this technique.
Performed in the radiology suite, the procedure involves placement of a needle into the fractured bone, then injecting a special cement to stabilize the bone. This results in reduced pain.
For additional information concerning vertebroplasty please, please visit www.sirweb.org.
Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting - An alternative for leg bypass surgery for patients with peripheral vascular disease.
Fat and cholesterol can accumulate on the inside of arteries and form deposits called plaque. This disease process is called arteriosclerosis. The arteries that supply blood to the brain, kidneys or legs can be narrowed or blocked by this accumulation. For example, narrowing of the arteries to the legs can cause pain while walking (Claudication) and similar disease in the arteries to the kidneys can cause high blood pressure, while plaque in the arteries to the brain (Carotid arteries) can cause a stroke.
If the blockage is not too severe, a balloon catheter may be used to open the artery as an alternative to surgery. This is usually done as out patient procedure and avoids the long recovery time often seen following open surgery.
The procedure starts with the patient lying on a padded table. Local pain medicine is given, and the catheter is then inserted in an artery (usually near the groin). The catheter is a small, hollow, flexible tube that has a balloon near the end of it. The patient is awake for the procedure, but is given sedation for relaxation and to minimize pain.
The blood vessels are then visualized by using X-rays and dye, and blockages in the vessels are identified. A balloon catheter is then inserted into the blockage and inflated, thus widening or opening the blocked vessel and restoring adequate blood flow.
In almost all cases, a device called a stent is also placed at the site of narrowing or blockage in order to keep the artery open. A common type of stent is made of self-expanding, stainless steel mesh
For additional information concerning balloon angioplasty and stenting, please visit www.sirweb.org.
Varicose Vein Ablation - A minimally invasive varicose vein treatment.
Superficial venous insufficiency is a common but disabling disease that can be effectively treated in our outpatient center. A thorough understanding of a patient’s venous anatomy is essential. In a normal vein, one- way valves keep the oxygen-depleted blood flowing from the legs toward the heart. If these valves weaken they allow blood to flow back down the legs, a condition called reflux. There the blood pools, often causing pain and unsightly swollen vessels or varicose veins.
At our office, patients are examined and the proper vascular treatment is then prescribed and performed by the interventional team. Recommendations may be as simple as cosmetic improvements with sclerotheraphy. Other patients may require complete vein removal or endovenous ablation.
- Sclerotheraphy:
Sclerotheraphy is a simple procedure performed on superficial veins. Generally these veins are not problematic but unsightly in appearance. Therefore most of these procedures are done for cosmetic reasons. The treatment involves an injection of a solution into the vein that causes the vein walls to swell, stick together and seal shut. Once the vein is shut there is no blood flowing in it and it turns into scar tissue. It usually takes about two weeks for the scar to fade. Sclerotheraphy does not require any anesthetic and is performed in our outpatient interventional department.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy:
Ambulatory phlebectomy requires a local anesthetic. It is done using a light source to locate the vein and a surgical hook to remove it. A series of small incisions are made in the leg and the hook pulled through them. Very large veins can be removed with minimal scarring. Patients can return to their normal activities the day after treatment.
- Endovenous Laser Ablation:
At St. Joseph’s Imaging, all ablations are done using the Cool Touch laser. With Cool Touch there is little, if any, pain, bruising or post-op complications. This minimally invasive treatment is an outpatient procedure performed using image guidance. After applying a local anesthetic to the vein, the interventional radiologist inserts a thin catheter, about the size of a strand of spaghetti, into the vein and guides it up the great saphenous vein in the thigh. Then a laser is used to heat the vein and seal it. By closing the saphenous vein, the twisted and varicosed branch veins close to the skin shrink and improve in appearance. Once the diseased vein is closed, other healthy veins take over to carry blood from the leg, re-establishing blood flow. Ablations done at St. Joseph’s Imaging using the Cool Touch Laser System have a success rate greater than 95%.
To make an appointment for any of these vascular procedures, call our central scheduling department at 315-362-VEIN (8346).
Approximately half of the US population has some kind of venous disease. More than half of these people are women. As we age the risk for vascular disease increases. Other risks include pregnancy, increased weight, and genetic predisposition. Besides the visual signs of this disease symptoms often include pain, swelling, tired legs or a heavy feeling in the leg. Support stocking may help alleviate these symptoms.
For additional information concerning varicose veins, please visit www.sirweb.org.
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