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MEDICAL
Westover Hills and the Baptist any abnormalities are in the joint. Then they can aid in decision
Breast Center is located in
Stone Oak, Westover Hills
and Downtown.
Dr. Patel says that the de- can also be performed.
mand for high-quality imaging
is growing and there is an in-
creasing need for more sites
dedicated to different sub-specializations. These high-tech scanning
and imaging machines are helping to revolutionize medicine today,
Patel says. With more information to look at and study, doctors
today can be more accurate and precise in their diagnosis. When the
doctor can see exactly where a tear has occurred before cutting a
patient open, then the subsequent surgery to make repairs can be
less invasive and recovery time is quicker.
“We can perform better scans today and get more information
than ever before,” Patel says. “The Orthopedic and Neurologic Im-
aging Institute will take us to a different level.”
If a patient comes in with a shoulder problem, for example, the
radiologist can inject a dye that can help them see by contrast where
TECHNOLOGY
making whether the patient needs surgery, or just medication and
therapy. Now special software on the MRI and CT scanner can help
reduce metal artifacts to aid study of the surrounding soft tissues.
Fine detailed evaluation of the brain, spine, abdomen and pelvis
The imaging process is also painless and does not require any spe-
cial preparation such as special diets or anesthesia. It is relatively
risk free, Patel says.
The imaging technology has been getting better and better over
the last 30 years and it is now to a point where it has become a very
powerful tool in the hands of medical professionals, Patel says. It is
having an impact in all fields of medicine as well. For instance, in
treating cancer patients it allows doctors to pinpoint precisely where
to deliver chemotherapy to have the most potent effect on a tumor
without effecting the rest of the body.
“This technology has given us incredible power to be able to di-
agnose a patient and prescribe treatment without having to open
them up,” Patel says. “It is a level of tailoring that was unheard of
just a few years ago.”
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