Diagnostic Imaging Procedures

Rutland Regional Medical Center provides a broad range of sophisticated diagnostic and treatment-related imaging tools and technologies.

• Angiography and Other Cardiac Catheterizations. Angiography is a minimally-invasive procedure that uses a special dye and X-rays to see how blood flows through the heart, measure a person's oxygen levels and examine whether arteries are open or blocked. Like other common cardiac catheterization procedures, it involves a thin, flexible tube called a catheter inserted through the veins and into the right or left side of the heart, usually from the groin or the arm.
• Bone Density Testing. This painless exam uses special, highly-sensitive X-rays to measure the grams of calcium and other minerals in your bones. The higher the level, the stronger your bones – and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis. This test is different from a bone scan. For a woman’s convenience, it can be scheduled at the same time as a mammogram.
• CT Scan. Computed tomography, more commonly known as CT, is a painless, sophisticated, non-invasive procedure that uses radiation and computer technology to create a detailed, cross-sectional picture of internal organs, bones, soft tissue and blood vessels. It is an invaluable tool in indentifying abnormalities and evaluating internal traumas, as well as in diagnosing cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and musculoskeletal disorders.
• Digital Fluoroscopy. A form of X-ray used to examine tissues and deep body structures that require the patient to drink a safe liquid called barium. The procedure is often used to look at the internal organs that play a part in swallowing and digestion, like the esophagus,stomach and intestines.
• Mammography. Specialized, low-energy X-ray beams are used to produce clear, detailed, digital breast images. To help ease the discomfort many women experience during the procedure, Rutland Regional uses a MammoPad^® – a specially-made cushion designed to give our high-tech mammograms a soft touch. The pad creates a soft, warm cushion between the breast and the mammography machine, making the experience more comfortable and the patient more relaxed. Learn more about the importance of mammograms by visiting Rutland Regional’s Breast Care Program. A mammogram screening can easily be coupled with a bone density scan.
• MRI. Using a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer, this painless and sophisticated imaging tool produces clear, detailed images of internal organs, ligaments, cartilage and other soft tissues and body structures. It is especially useful in diagnosing shoulder, back, knee and neck injuries, as well as for detecting brain and spinal cord problems.
• Nuclear Medicine. A small, safe amount of liquid radiation is injected and used to show not just what organs look like, but how they are functioning. It’s a procedure primarily used to diagnosis illness, but can also be used to treat hyperthyroidism and relieve pain caused by certain types of bone cancer. Nuclear medicine is often used to examine the thyroid, brain, bones, lung, heart, liver and gallbladder.
• PET Scan. Positron Emission Tomography, or PET, is a highly-advanced technology that can pinpoint abnormal cell growth and activity. The detailed images this scan produces can help physicians detect and diagnose diseases in their earliest stages, when they are more easily treated. Combined with a CT scan, it can be especially useful in detecting heart and brain abnormalities, as well as in diagnosing and staging various forms of cancer by showing the exact location of tumors.
• Ultrasound. This safe, painless procedure uses high-frequency sound waves and their echoes to create detailed images of soft tissue and other body parts. It is an especially effective tool to examine the kidneys, liver and uterus.
• X-ray. A quick, painless form of imaging used to create film or digital pictures of bones, soft tissue and other body structures. It’s commonly used to diagnose broken bones and other causes of pain.