In the medical realm, imaging describes various processes medical professionals
use to obtain a detailed picture of the body, inside and out. In the last
100 years alone, our ability to identify warning signs on hidden parts
of the body have drastically improved. Salinas Valley Healthcare System
has stayed on top of these medical advances and equipped ourselves with
high quality imaging devices so that we can provide patients with optimal
diagnostics and preemptive treatments.
Scanning vs. Surgery
Without being able to see inside the body, doctors have traditionally relied
on surgery to examine a patient with unexplained ailments. This is not
an ideal diagnostic procedure as it puts the patient at risk of infection,
requires a brief stay at the hospital, and is a costly endeavor that may
yield no results. Now surgery is used as a last resort diagnostic measure,
and even then doctors typically employ minimally invasive techniques.
Imaging services and minimally invasive diagnostic surgeries are almost
always done on an outpatient basis. This means patients do not need to
stay in the hospital and can return home shortly after the test.
Ultrasound scanning works like underwater sonar using a device similar
to a microphone pressed against the area being scanned. Most ultrasound
scans are done from outside the body, through the skin. This device sends
out very high frequency sound waves, which go into the area being examined
and bounce back when they hit an organ or blood vessel. These sound waves
are processed by a computer, which produces a map of the area being scanned.
This technique allows the radiographer to see static structures and to
observe moving parts such as the heart of a baby in the womb or the valves
inside an adult heart.
