Imaging Services

After your doctor schedules your imaging exam, you will be given instructions to follow prior to having the exam. The following instructions are only for exams given at Knapp Medical Center:

• Mammogram
• MRI
• HIDA Scan
• Bone Scan
• Thyroid Scan
• CT of the Thorax
• CT of the Abdomen and Pelvis
• CT of the Pelvis
• CT of the Abdomen
• CT of the Brain
• Upper GI
• Small Bowel Examination
• IVP
• Barium Enema
• Abdominal Ultrasound
• Pelvic Ultrasound

Completed radiographs are the property of the hospital. Many patients believe that the completed radiographs belong to the patient, but the hospital is required by law to maintain these films for a period of five years. KMC is required to keep mammography radiographs ten years.

There are times when the patient's doctor may request original radiographs for his or her use or for consultation with a specialist. When this is the case, the physician may request that the patient pick-up hospital radiographs. The hospital is required to obtain signed permission from the patient for the release of the radiographs. Once the radiographs are taken to the requesting doctor, it will be the doctor's responsibility to assure that these radiographs are returned to Knapp Medical Center.

Patients may request a copy of the original radiograph for their own personal use. The cost is $12.50 per copy.

2005

Digital mammography, a minimally invasive biopsy system and a computer aided detection system make a new, powerful threesome offering the promise of increased breast cancer detection, reduced benign biopsies and safer care at Knapp Medical Center.

Why the switch to digital?
Digital mammography was developed for many important reasons. The system transfers images to a computer so they can be electronically enhanced. Your doctor can zoom in, magnify and optimize different parts of the breast tissue. And special software allows your doctor to view the entire breast on one image.

How do digital mammograms differ from conventional film?
The steps involved from your perspective will be very similar. How the images are captured and your healthcare providers do with them sets digital apart. Digital mammograms let your doctor focus in on the areas of concern, which enhance readability and interpretation.

How long will my digital mammogram take?
It will take about 10 to 15 minutes to acquire the images. The compression and positioning are the same as traditional mammography but with less wait time and far fewer call backs, usually a 20 to 30 percent reduction in call backs.

I've heard that digital mammography is better for patients who have dense breasts. What is the difference between dense and fatty breasts?
Your breast contains varying amounts of glandular (dense) tissue and fatty tissue. The more glandular the breast tissue, the denser the breast. Digital mammography is better for imaging dense breast tissue than the traditional film method.

Is there any reduction in the amount of radiation received by the patient?
Fischer Incorporated, the company that makes the equipment, has conducted tests showing digital mammography reduces radiation to the patient by 60%..

Who should have Computer Aided Detection (C.A.D.) screening?
All women are at risk of getting breast cancer with 1 out of 8 women getting breast cancer in their lifetime. For every 100 cancers detected by screening mammography, the use of C.A.D. could result in earlier detection of an additional 23 breast cancers...meaning a potential 23 more lives saved. C.A.D. screening is recommended for all women.

How often should C.A.D. be performed?
C.A.D. should be performed with every mammography exam.

What does C.A.D. do?
After your mammography exam, your films are scanned and digitized by the C.A.D. computer. It analyzes the film and prints a report for the Radiologist, highlighting suspicious areas that may be indicative of cancer. It acts like a second pair of eyes or a spellchecker.

Does C.A.D. help with earlier detection?
By utilizing the C.A.D. computer some cancers can be detected up to 24 months earlier than with conventional means only.

Does earlier detection help?
Yes. It is critical to diagnose breast cancer as early as possible when survival rates are highest, and treatment costs are lowest.

Will my insurance cover the cost of the procedure?
Medicare and many other insurance companies are currently reimbursing for this procedure. Since this technology is new, however, not all payors are participating at this time.

Can I get the C.A.D. procedure even if it is not covered by my insurance company?
Yes, Knapp Medical Center is currently making C.A.D. available to all its patients.

What is a biopsy?
Physicians order a biopsy or a small tissue sample to determine if the tissue is diseased.

Why is this new breast biopsy system better?
Because of the precise and accurate targeting with computer calculated positioning and enhanced image quality, the success rate of locating and extracting a small sample of tissue from a mass greatly increases. This outpatient procedure offers virtually no scarring and the ergonomic table is more comfortable.