Before your imaging procedure, be sure to ask your physician the following questions:

• Why is the test needed?
• How will having the test improve my care?
• Are there alternatives that do not use radiation and deliver similar results?
• Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR)?
• Are pediatric and adult tests delivered using the appropriate radiation doses?

When you see the gold seals of accreditation displayed, you can be sure that you are in a facility that meets the highest standards for imaging quality and safety.

To achieve the ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation, our facility’s personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance and quality control procedures have gone through a rigorous review process and have met specific qualifications. It’s important for patients to know that every aspect of the ACR accreditation process is overseen by board-certified, expert radiologists and medical physicists in advanced diagnostic imaging.

Our facility has voluntarily chosen the vigorous ACR review process to ensure that we meet nationally accepted standards of care.

Our personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to perform medical imaging and interpret your images. Our equipment is appropriate for the test or treatment you will receive, and our facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.

When you see the ACR gold seal, you can rest assured that your imaging procedure will be done at a facility that has met the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety. The facility and its personnel have gone through a comprehensive review to earn accreditation status by the American College of Radiology, the largest and oldest imaging accrediting body in the U.S. and a professional organization of more than 40,000 physicians.

The length of the exam depends on the type of study being performed. Scan times last an average of 5 – 15 minutes.

Please wear clothing that is comfortable and includes no metal (i.e., metal-free bra, T-shirt, shorts or sweatpants). If you need to change into patient scrubs, there is a changing room with keyed lockers for your belongings.

You may take your prescribed medication(s) unless you are having an injection (including our spinal injection service) or a myelogram. Then you may be asked to pause certain medications.

As a courtesy, keyed lockers are provided for your belongings.

If we are injecting CT contrast during your procedure, we may first do a creatinine blood test for kidney function. Creatinine is a waste product that when found in high levels can signal impaired kidneys, and since contrast can stress impaired kidneys, we want to make sure your procedure will be safe. Please allow an additional 30 – 45 minutes for lab results, for a total visit time of a little over an hour.

We perform this blood test if:

• You are over age 60. (We can use creatinine lab work that is less than one month old.)
• You are diabetic.
• You are in renal failure.

CT uses ionizing (X-ray) radiation, and MRI creates images through the combination of a strong magnetic field and radio waves, without X-ray. Although CT does use radiation, we utilize low-dose technology, which decreases your radiation exposure compared to standard X-ray technology.

The American College of Radiology, at this time, does not believe there is sufficient evidence to justify recommending total body screening for patients with no clinical symptoms, risk factors or a family history suggesting underlying disease or serious injury. Read this article from American College of Radiology for more information.

Physicians use the MRI scanner to examine one part of the body at a time. The scanner can take pictures of the head, neck, back, chest, abdomen, pelvis, shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle, foot, blood vessels and more.

Some patients feel claustrophobic in standard MRI scanners. Our wide-bore MRI scanners are designed to accommodate larger patients and to minimize claustrophobia for people of all sizes. For children and adults who may experience claustrophobia, we also offer CinemaVision technology, a virtual entertainment system.

The MRI scanner is donut-shaped, wide open on both ends, well-lit and ventilated.

The scanner works with strong magnetic fields. Inside an MRI machine there are parts called gradients. During a scan, the gradients turn on and off so fast that they create a sound.

The area of the body being scanned will be in the center of the scanner. For many procedures — with the exception of scans of the head, neck, chest and upper abdomen — your head will remain outside the scanner.

If your healthcare provider prescribes an oral sedative for your exam, we advise that you have a driver.

An MRI is very safe. There are no health risks associated with the magnetic field or the radio waves used by the machine, nor have any side effects been reported. Patients with a pacemaker, certain types of aneurysm clips or certain other implants should NOT have an MRI until the implant has been researched by a technologist for safety. (See below for more about metal implants and scans.)

There is no radiation exposure associated with an MRI.

While an MRI scan has no known side effects, it is not recommended for pregnant women unless your healthcare provider believes it’s important to get an MRI.

MRI exams take an average of 15 – 45 minutes. There are a few variables that will determine the length, including the part of your body we are scanning and whether your scan requires a contrast dye.

You’ll need to remove all external metal objects — jewelry, keys, underwire bra, clothing with zippers, snaps or metal buttons, etc. — for safety reasons related to the machine’s magnetic fields and because they appear on the MRI image.

As a general rule, no. However, patients may have “MRI conditional” implants that can be scanned safely under certain conditions. Please be sure to inform your technologist of any prior surgeries and implants before your exam. Patients with the following should NOT have an MRI until the implant has been researched by a technologist for safety.:

• Pacemakers
• Defibrillators
• Certain aneurysm clips
• Certain neurostimulators
• Certain implants that are not MRI-safe
• Tissue expanders

All implants that are placed by a surgeon have a manufacturer name and model number. Some surgeons give their patients cards with the manufacturer name and model number. The facility where the implant was placed should have a record of what was implanted. That information will help us determine if your implant is MRI-safe.

During the injection of a contrast dye, you may feel some slight pressure or discomfort as the joint is distended. The sensation is temporary and will pass within four – six hours after the procedure. Some soreness may also be present at the injection site for up to 24 hours.

You may resume regular activities immediately after the procedure. The radiologist will recommend, however, that you limit strenuous or stress-bearing activities on the affected joint for 24 hours following the procedure.

An MRI does not use X-ray radiation and a CT does. Instead, an MRI creates high-quality images through the combination of a strong magnetic field and radio waves. It can detect certain diseases much earlier than other medical imaging techniques can, making it the diagnostic tool of choice for several conditions.

The radioactive material passes out of the body through urine or stool (feces). It may take a few hours or days to completely pass out of the body. Drink lots of fluids after the test to help flush it out.

A regular PET scan can be used for the entire body and detecting different types of cancer using FDG – 18 isotope.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA PET) highlights cancer cells by absorption of radiation from a diagnostic isotope (i.e., 68Ga). That isotope connects with a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on prostate gland cells or PC cells. It may be used to help diagnose prostate cancer that may have recurred or spread to other parts of the body.

PSMA PET scans for prostate cancer provide better care for men who are initially diagnosed with prostate cancer or for men who were previously treated but have experienced a recurrence of the cancer. In both cases, PSMA PET is better able to find the extent of this cancer in the body.

PSMA PET imaging is an FDA-approved scan with more precise detection of prostate cancer for better treatment planning and targeted care. It is more effective in pinpointing and eliminating tumors not only in the prostate but also throughout the pelvis and the body in cases where tumors have migrated.

If no one is previously scheduled or ahead of you when you walk-in, a mammogram generally takes about 15 minutes after you have checked in and changed.

According to the Mammography Quality Standard Act, a routine annual mammogram can be self-referred. You DO need to have a healthcare provider who will receive the report.

You will receive results within a week unless we are waiting for your previous comparison mammograms from another facility. That can sometimes take two to three weeks.

It’s valuable to compare your results to your last exam to see if anything has changed.

Yes, the compression is the same, but the amount of time the compression is applied is shorter.

Patients with breast implants can have mammograms in the same way as patients without implants.

Yes, you will as deodorant can sometimes appear as an area of calcification on a mammogram.

Yes, it uses radiation but slightly less radiation than with film or screen mammograms.

We perform breast imaging services at three of our four locations.

Our North Reserve location in Missoula and our Stevensville location are dedicated to offering screening digital mammograms. They are open for scheduled and walk-in appointments Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

At our Main Center on South Avenue West, we offer diagnostic breast imaging (breast MRI, abbreviated breast MRI (AB-MRI), ABUS and breast biopsy services) from 9 am – 4 pm; routine walk-in screening mammograms are available from 7:30 – 9 am and from 4 – 6 pm.

3D mammography enables the radiologists to adjust the images’ contrast and magnification to aid them in diagnosis. For women with dense, fibrous breasts 3D mammography is especially superior.

Yes, our radiologists also use a tool called CAD (computer aided diagnosis), a computer program that is designed to evaluate mammograms. This means that mammograms are evaluated by both our radiologist and the CAD program.

An AB-MRI is performed on the same scanner as a full breast MRI. The AB-MRI is more affordable and faster lasting around 15 minutes, whereas the full breast MRI lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. A full breast MRI is typically for women with a high lifetime risk of breast cancer or women with a strong family history of breast cancer or a known genetic predisposition to breast cancer. AB-MRI is intended for women with dense breasts who are at average risk of breast cancer.

ABUS, or Automated Breast Ultrasound System, is a secondary screening exam designed for women with dense breasts. Tumors and dense breast tissue both appear white on mammograms, which can make detecting a tumor more challenging. Because of that, we also offer ABUS which uses 3D ultrasound technology that provides clearer images through dense breast tissue, making it easier to see potential tumors.

Healthy veins return blood to the heart so it can be re-oxygenated. These one-way valves within the veins ensure that the blood flows in one direction, towards the heart. When valves fail or leak, the blood flows backwards, causing blood to pool in the veins. This pooling stretches vessels and can lead to the development of bumpy, rope-like veins.

While varicose veins are commonly inherited, anyone can get them. Hormonal changes brought on by puberty, pregnancy and menopause can trigger the onset of symptoms.

Spider veins are broken capillaries that appear as small web-like red, blue or purple veins on the surface of the skin. While they pose no health risks, they can cause significant discomfort. The primary factors contributing to the development of spider veins include heredity, pregnancy, hormones, weight gain, and prolonged standing or sitting.

It can take years for varicose veins to develop symptoms. Left untreated, severe varicose veins can compromise the health of the skin and lead to eczema, inflammation or even ulceration of the lower leg. Ulcerations are difficult to treat and become easily infected and painful. Many of these symptoms and complications can be prevented by early treatment of varicose veins.

Common symptoms include pain, aching or cramping in the legs as well as:

• Tiredness
• Burning
• Tingling
• Restlessness
• Throbbing
• Heaviness in the legs
• Itching and burning around veins

Depending on the results of a screening examination, additional tests such as a diagnostic ultrasound may be recommended to identify the extent of vein damage and to look at blood flow in your legs. There are many options for treatment including sclerotherapy, vein ablation and surgery.

Treatment is customized based upon your individual needs and will depend on the extent of vein damage, your overall health and other risk factors.

Support stockings and other measures including leg elevation, exercise, skin care and cosmetics may be recommended.