CT Scanner

Aspen Valley Hospital's CT scanner is the GE Discovery 750 with Gemstone technology. This state-of-the-art CT scanner was installed at AVH in October 2011 and, at the time of installation, is the only one of its kind in Colorado. Using a process called Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR), the GE Discovery uses scan data more effectively than other scanners and dramatically lowers radiation exposure -- up to 50% -- with no loss of imaging quality. As a result, it provides maximum clarity to assist in the diagnosis of a variety of conditions and with optimal patient safety.

"This CT scanner -- with an emphasis on high definition imaging and radiation reduction -- perhaps represents the most significant diagnostic breakthrough in CT to date," said Bart Outzen, RT, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at AVH. "It's also many times faster than other available CT scans."

CT technology is an indispensable tool in medicine, and it is also an uncomplicated and painless type of medical evaluation. It is used for a variety of examinations of the body. For example, CT can assist in:

• Locating fractures
• Determining the extent of bone and soft tissue damage in trauma patients; in such cases it is especially helpful to have an imaging procedure which allows a fast diagnosis
• Diagnosing changes in various organs
• Examination of the heart and coronary vessels
• Early diagnosis in lung cancer

With the aid of CT, physicians are now able to look into the coronary arteries without having to introduce a catheter. In addition, true-to-detail three dimensional images of the inside of the heart and other parts of the body are possible.

Heart attacks are currently the most common cause of death in the U.S. If you would like to know if you are at risk for heart disease, ask your family doctor about undergoing a cardiac CT examination. Such an examination can not only tell you more about the calcium load in your coronary arteries, a known predictor of the risk for a heart attack, but also can indicate the presence or absence of lesions called "plaques" which may cause narrowing of these arteries, reducing blood supply to the heart muscle and leading to a heart attack.

There are two examination methods available. One is calcium scoring, an exam which can be performed in approximately 15 seconds. A positive coronary calcium score result serves as a good indicator of the risk for certain types of heart attack. A negative calcium score result is a good indicator that coronary vessels are intact.

Another method is CT angiography of the coronary vessels. This detailed examination is performed by injection of a contrast medium into a vein. ECG electrodes are positioned on the patient's chest in order to synchronize the scanner exactly to the patient's heart rate. This makes it possible to acquire a complete 3D scan of the heart — a "virtual trip through the heart" — without a catheter. And this examination takes only 20 seconds. The precise results of this exam provide the doctor with information about the condition of the patient's coronary vessels.

The early detection of lung cancer is also enhanced through the use of the scanner. Throughout the world, lung cancer is the most commonly occurring form of cancer. Since the symptoms of this disease usually first appear in its advanced stages, the chances of recovery in such cases are often quite poor. However, if lung nodules can be diagnosed early enough, before they have a chance to spread, it may be possible to successfully treat this disease.

The CT image is acquired after the X-ray system takes extremely detailed cross-sectional images of the body. Based on the data acquired, the computer then generates diagnostic quality images. The radiologist is able to look at an extraordinarily precise image of the inside of the body, aiding the referring physician in diagnosis and ultimately treatment.

For more information about CT scanning or other diagnostic capabilities at Aspen Valley Hospital, call 544-7396.