Radiology Associates of Hawaii offers both Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology procedures. The following are the diagnostic procedures offered at our practice:
X-ray, also known as Radiography, is the oldest and most frequently used form of Radiation. X-rays can help physicians diagnose and treat fractures. They can also be used to detect and monitor degenerative diseases such as arthritis.
An angiogram is a diagnostic exam that allows our Hawaii Radiology team to study your blood vessels and organs. It involves injecting a special dye (contrast material) into your arteries so they will be visible on X-rays. The test can help us determine whether or not your arteries or veins are blocked.
When you come in for an angiogram at our Hawaii practice, your doctor will insert a catheter through one of your blood vessels (usually in your thigh) all the way up to the area of interest. With the catheter in place, your doctor will then inject dye through the catheter into the artery or vein in question. Finally, X-rays will be taken. Following an angiogram at our Hawaii Radiology center, you will be asked to lie flat with your legs straight for 4-6 hours. You must also arrange for someone to drive you home after the test because of the medications you may be given.
We also offer other angiography procedures at our Honolulu practice. Please visit Radiology Associates of Hawaii for more information.
This type of imaging uses low-dose x-rays to produce a detailed picture of the inside of the breast. Receiving a mammogram at our Hawaii practice is quick and painless, but can be vital to your health. The test plays an important role in the early detection of breast cancer because it can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. The American Cancer Association recommends that women get a mammogram every year beginning at age 40.
To schedule a mammogram, please contact the Queens Women's Health Center.
A stereotactic biopsy is an X-ray procedure that helps to determine the exact location of a tumor or nodule so a tissue sample can be obtained. To perform this procedure, we will ask you to lie face down on a table with your breast positioned through a round opening in the table. The table will then be elevated and your breast will be compressed so stereo mammographic images can be taken. The compression will be similar to that experienced during a mammogram. Using the stereotactic images, a computer will determine exactly where a biopsy needle should enter the breast, and the Radiologist will position the device that holds the biopsy needle. The doctor will inject your breast with local anesthetic and a tiny incision will be made for the biopsy needle. Another mammographic image will then be taken to confirm correct positioning of the needle, which will then be used to acquire a tissue sample.
Needle localization is a simple process performed on patients before they undergo a breast biopsy or lumpectomy. The process helps to clearly mark the area of the breast that will be removed during surgery. Needle localization is performed under the guidance of ultrasound or mammogram. Imaging allows the Radiologist at our Hawaii practice to insert a needle into the area that needs to be removed. When the needle is in the right position, a small wire is inserted through the needle to mark the abnormal area. The needle is then removed and the thin wire remains to mark the area of suspicious tissue. This helps the surgeon clearly differentiate between healthy tissue and tissue that needs to be removed. Discomfort during needle localization is very minimal.
Patients can also receive a bone density test at our Hawaii practice. This procedure involves using a low-dose x-ray to check areas of the body such as the spine and hips for signs of mineral loss and bone thinning. Bone density tests are frequently used to detect osteoporosis, a condition that most often affects post-menopausal women, but can affect men too.
To schedule a bone density test at our Honolulu, Hawaii, Radiology center, please contact us today.
CT is an imaging technique that uses x-ray beams at various angles to create cross-sectional images of a region of the body. Sensors in the CT scanner pick up the X-ray signals, and a computer converts the many image slices into a detailed 3-dimensional image.
We also offer MRI at our Hawaii practice. This imaging technique uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to reveal detailed information about the body. The magnetic field produced by the MRI scanner causes water particles in the body to produce a signal. The advantage of MRI is that it can discriminate between various tissues in the body. Additionally, it does not use any radioactivity or x-rays.
MRI is the preferred imaging method for examining male and female reproductive organs and organs of the chest and abdomen. It is also frequently used to diagnose spinal and joint problems, as well as coronary artery disease and heart problems. We are pleased to offer the open MRI system at our Hawaii practice. Unlike traditional MRI, this system can accommodate large and claustrophobic patients.
To find out more about MRI, contact our Honolulu, Hawaii, Radiology practice.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to display images of the inside of the body. During an ultrasound, sound waves enter a patient's body and are bounced back from various internal organs. The echoes produced by the sound waves create an image of the internal organs that is then projected onto a TV screen. Ultrasounds are commonly used on pregnant women to display pictures of unborn babies. They are also useful for displaying images of the abdomen, bladder, thyroid, breast, and various other parts of the body.
If you think you may benefit from a diagnostic procedure such as an ultrasound, MRI, mammogram, or bone density test, please visit our Honolulu, Hawaii, Radiology practice today.
We also offer minimally invasive interventional Radiology treatments including uterine fibroid embolization, varicose vein treatment, and back pain therapy. For more about these procedures, visit our treatments page.
Contact us to find out more about MRI, mammogram, angiogram, bone density testing, or other procedures we offer at our Hawaii practice.