Bruises, scratches, and scrapes are easy and obvious indicators that harm has been done to your body, and some form of care or treatment is needed. But interior damage to or disease in your organs, tissues, and bones may be harder to detect.
Medical imaging uses a variety of technologies to allow doctors to examine the inside structures, systems, and processes of your body. These images provide essential information to inform the diagnosis and treatment of issues that aren’t visible to the naked eye.
At Heartland Imaging, we offer six different imaging services for our patients:
Each type of imaging technology will have an advantage for a specific type of diagnosis and treatment. Here’s a close look at what these imaging tests can do.
Detecting Disease
Many diseases can affect either single organs or multiple systems throughout your body, depending on their scope, stage, and severity.
There are many different types of cancer, for example, each with its own risks and progressions. Cancers may be located in a single area (such as a breast cancer tumor in one breast), or throughout the body (as in the case of leukemia, which impacts your bone marrow and lymphatic system). Fortunately, medical imaging can locate even small tumors, allowing your doctor and medical specialists to select the most effective treatment for you.
Mammography, one of the key services we offer at Heartland Imaging, is widely used to diagnose breast cancer. Similarly, a CT/CAT scan or MRI can identify tumors and other abnormalities within your organs and soft tissue.
Identifying Breaks and Injuries
Aside from diseases, damage can come from traumatic injuries like skeletal fractures. As with disease detection, identifying internal bleeding, bone breakage, muscle damage, or tears in ligaments and tendons will allow your healthcare team to craft a treatment plan and make sure your injury heals well.
X-ray and MRI technology both provide images of your bones and internal tissues so that doctors can make the right diagnoses in the case of injury or physical trauma.
Tracking Growth and Healing
Ultrasounds are appropriate in multiple scenarios, but they’re most famously used during pregnancy. Regular ultrasound sessions help doctors monitor the progress of a growing fetus to ensure healthy development and delivery. (And also help determine a baby’s biological birth gender.)
But several different imaging tests can also be used to assess the state of chronic wounds, or how your body is healing, possibly after surgery or a significant burn.
Heartland Imaging is equipped to assist our patients with their imaging needs. We strive to provide quality care that is both medically and emotionally effective. If you have any questions about our services or are ready to schedule an appointment, call us at (502) 429-6500 or request an appointment online.