Radiology

The Radiology department at the Jamal Memorial Trust Hospital will enable doctors and specialists diagnose illnesses and diseases using state of the art medical equipment imported from the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

Radiology departments typically house equipment that allows doctors to see inside the body, such as X-ray, MRI and CT scanners.

X-Rays are a painless and quick way to show bones in the body. The rays travel through objects, depending on the density, and form an image on the other side. Dense bones show up as white, whereas softer tissue, such as lungs and hearts, show up as darker images. X-rays can be used to diagnose broken bones, dental issues, spinal complaints, respiratory problems, such as pneumonia, bone tumours, swallowing problems, and breast cancer, for example. X-rays can also be used to guide surgeons during key-hole procedures so they can be sure they are working on the right area.

During an X-ray you will be asked to lie or stand very still. They are not harmful, unless you are exposed to a lot of them, so the Radiologist is usually behind a screen or in a different room. Often, X-rays will not be performed on pregnant women, unless in a medical emergency, to avoid harming the foetus.

Sometimes, if the X-ray is to diagnose problems with soft tissue, a contrast dye will be introduced to your body to help the organs show up more clearly.

MRI scans produce similar results to an X-ray but use magnets to show internal organs and can produce 3D images, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis of tissue irregularities and show the differences between tissues areas.

An MRI scanner looks like a large ring, which the patient lies in. It is painless but can be a bit off putting for those who suffer with claustrophobia. It is important to lie very still during an MRI, which can take anything from 15 minutes to two hours, depending on which organs need examining. The patient will enter either head or feet first, depending on where the complaint it. You will usually be given a set of headphones, as the machine can be noisy.

Before you enter the MRI scanner, you will be asked to remove all jewellery and metal because the machine uses extremely strong magnets. Therefore, people with metal plates, pins or pacemakers are not able to have an MRI scan.

A CT is much quicker than an MRI scan and can also show tissue and organs. It is able to show bone, blood vessels and organs at the same time, but the soft tissue has much less detail than on an MRI scan. The fact it can show blood flow makes it useful in diagnosing strokes and brain issues.

CT scans are used a lot when treating and diagnosing tumours. They can be used to measure the impact of treatment and to check the size, shape and location of tumours.

PET scans can produce 3D images of body parts and are particularly useful in showing how an organ or body parts are working, rather than just what they look like. This is done by introducing a substance called a radiotracer into your body and watching how it gathers in certain parts of your body. It is often used to treat and diagnose cancer patients.

An ultrasound uses sound waves to create images. They are usually used to look at unborn babies but can also guide surgeons to the right place during keyhole surgery.

The Jamal Memorial Trust Hospital will bring vital diagnostic equipment to Mian Channu in state of the art surroundings.