An American College of Radiology Accredited Facility

St. Mary's Medical Center
(865) 545-7249
Fax: (865) 545-8977
Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Friday

St. Mary's North
(865) 859-7000
Fax: (865) 859-7300

Services offered:

• MR System providing a full complement of MR exams
• New procedures such as a MR spectroscopy, diffusion imaging and MR perfusion scanning
• Features a GE 3-tesla and two GE 1.5-tesla systems
• All registered ASRT technologists with advanced registry in MR

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) utilizes a magnetic field and radio waves to create very detailed pictures of the body. This method of imaging does not use any ionizing radiation, therefore the patient does not receive any radiation exposures. MRI is especially sensitive for imaging the neuro-anatomy such as the spinal cord and brain.

St. Mary's utilizes high field strength magnets, which allows for faster scanning, times and superb detailed imaging. The MRI department is staffed from 6 a.m. to 11p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. All appointments are by physician referral and can be scheduled by calling 545-7771. The MRI department is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

Exams
Most MR procedures usually take an average of 45 minutes to complete. They are painless and require the patient to remain very still during the exam. The patient might experience some various knocking sounds while the scanner is acquiring images. Certain medical devices may prohibit a patient from having a MR procedure, such as implanted pacemakers, defibrillators or aneurysm clips. A medical history and screening will be taken before the exam to establish safety for each patient. All patients should wear loose, comfortable clothing without metallic objects.

Full complements of exams are offered at this facility. Your exam will be tailored specifically for your clinical history by a Radiologist who is specialist in interpreting MR images.

Orthopedic Procedures

1. Joint imaging such as shoulder, knee, hip, and exams for pain or trauma injury.
2. Spine imaging is generally performed for conditions such as ruptured discs and chronic pain.
3. Extremity imaging is used to evaluate soft tissue abnormalities or fractures.

Neuro

• Brain scans are for conditions such as headaches, dizziness, stroke, or tumors.
• Spinal cord imaging is generally for radicular symptoms and chronic pain.

Several new imaging techniques are available for neuro diagnosis such as Diffusion and Perfusion scanning of the brain. These can help differentiate and evaluate acute vs chronic strokes. Spectroscopy is also available to evaluate brain tissue.

Vascular

Recent developments with fast scanning techniques and contrast enhanced MR angiography have provided a safe, non-invasive approach for evaluation many vascular pathologies.

• Renal arteries- evaluation for stenosis for uncontrolled hypertension.
• Abdomen with Runoffs- evaluation of the arterial flow from the abdomen to the lower legs for peripheral vascular disease.
• Carotid and vertebral- evaluation of stenotic lesions in the arteries of the neck and head.
• Aortagrams- evaluation for aneurysm.

For more information about MRI please contact Janie Williams at jwilliam@stmaryshealth.com.