Imaging

Our Imaging Services Department provides vital diagnostic images to the physician and care team. These complex and extremely detailed images are essential in helping physicians and providers identify a patient's injury or illness. The greater the detail, the more accurate the diagnosis. The Imaging Services Department is available to patients 24 hours a day, every day. Board Certified Physicians and licensed, certified staff provide services using advanced diagnostic technology from the finest imaging manufacturers in the world. Service is provided in a relaxed, comfortable setting. Patients and family members will be treated with respect, dignity and kindness.

The Imaging Services Department at Hampton Regional is fully digital, allowing patient's diagnostic images to be sent via high speed, secure computer connections to physicians and hospitals anywhere. Equipment and imaging services available at the hospital include:

Digital Radiography
Ultrasound
Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
Mammography
MRI
Echocardiography
Nuclear Medicine

ABOUT THE RADIOLOGISTS

Carolina Radiology Associates is a leading provider of diagnostic and interventional radiology services. Through nearly 40 years since their inception, the radiology group has earned a reputation for consistently setting new standards for medical imaging in the Carolinas. The team of physicians includes board-certified Radiologists with subspecialty training in areas such as women's imaging, magnetic resonance, nuclear medicine, computed tomography, neuroradiology and a plethora of other subspecialty capabilities to deliver a superior patient experience.

Digital Radiography

General-purpose radiology, previously called X-ray, is simply a procedure used to evaluate injury to the extremities: arms, legs, hands, and feet. This type of imaging is frequently used to diagnose fractures or broken bones. Hampton Regional's Toshiba T.Rad Plus uses the most advanced imaging technology available.

Ultrasound:

Ultrasound, or sonography, involves using high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound images are captured in real-time and show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. This procedure is used to examine internal organs such as the heart and blood vessels, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, uterus, ovaries, thyroid, and fetus in pregnant patients. Ultrasound is helpful in diagnosing a variety of conditions.

Computed Tomography (CT Scan):

Computed tomography (CT) scanning blends the traditional use of X-rays with the latest computer innovations. CT imaging uses special x-ray equipment to produce cross-sectional images or pictures of the inside of the body, and a computer reconstructs these slices to produce a 3D image of the areas being studied. When the image slices are reassembled by computer software, the result is a very detailed multidimensional view of the body's interior. CT scans of internal organs, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels provide greater clarity than conventional x-ray exams. A CT scan is a quick and painless procedure. It allows the technologist to acquire images in just a few seconds while you lie on the patient table. CT imaging can also play a significant role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disorders that can lead to stroke, gangrene or kidney failure.

Digital Mammography:

Constance Ginn – Radiologic Technologist
Mammograms are used as a screening tool to detect early breast cancer in women. Digital Mammography is a specific type of imaging in which the x-ray films are replaced by solid-state detectors that convert x-rays into electrical signals. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breast that can be seen on a computer. Digital mammography is proven to be more effective than conventional mammography.

MRI:

Adam Petrus – MRI Technician
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses a powerful magnetic field and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone, and other internal body structures. This is a non-invasive, usually painless medical test that does not use radiation. Physicians use the MRI examination to help diagnose or monitor treatment for tumors of the chest, abdomen, or pelvis; lesions of the liver or other internal organs; and tumors or abnormalities of the reproductive organs.

Echocardiography

An echocardiogram is a diagnostic procedure where ultrasound images of the heart identify (1)heart size, (2) thickness of the heart muscle, (3)valve structure, (4)leaky blocked valves, (5)congenital heart defects, (6) heart muscle contraction or scarring. The procedure is performed by placing a small transducer, which emits ultrasonic sound waves on the chest wall. The sound waves pass through the chest to the heart and are reflected to the ultrasound probe. This reflected pulse is computer analyzed and continuous images are available for review by the physician. Speckle tracking echocardiography using a GE Vivid 7 Dimension, a new imaging technique available at HRMC, allows for evaluation of individual heart muscle bundle movement.

Nuclear Medicine:

Nuclear Medicine is a subspecialty within the field of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat disease and other abnormalities within the body. It is commonly used to evaluate organ function such as diagnostic studies of the heart and kidneys. Nuclear imaging procedures are non-invasive and usually painless medical tests that help physicians diagnose medical conditions. These imaging scans use radioactive materials called a radiopharmaceutical or radiotracer. Physicians use nuclear imaging to visualize the structure and function of an organ, tissue, bone or system of the body.