New advanced CT technology in Niagara
Two new CT scanners enable radiologists to do more specialized types of exams more quickly and with sharper images, says Chief of Radiology Dr. Amit Mehta, left, pictured here at the St. Catharines General Site with Bonnie Sipos, Regional Technical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory and Infection Control.
The new CT scanner is moved to its new home at the Welland Hospital Site. Since the section of the CT shown in this photo weighs 4,000 pounds, a team of engineers was brought in to ensure the corridor floors could handle the weight. The CT suite was renovated to handle the new unit, with upgrades to the electrical and heating/ventilation systems, additional lead lining in walls, and a new lead window to the control room.
When the decision was made to replace Welland Hospital Site’s CT unit this summer, Niagara Health’s diagnostic imaging leaders came up with a creative way to cover several weeks without a key diagnostic tool: a portable CT unit (pictured here) temporarily located outside adjacent to the Emergency Department.
This summer has seen the installation of two Siemens 128-slice Somatom Definition AS+ CT units, one at St. Catharines General Site in June and one at Welland Hospital Site in August. These units complement the 64-slice Siemens CT unit installed at Greater Niagara General Site just a few years ago.
CT scans combine special X-ray equipment with sophisticated computers to produce multiple images or pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and blood vessels during a scan lasting only a few minutes. About half of all CT scans involve a dye injected to provide contrast and show the function of an organ or blood vessel.
During a scan, technologists are able to capture the images in many dimensions or angles. Radiologists, physician specialists in diagnostic imaging, then study the scans to interpret abnormalities or injuries and ultimately provide a diagnosis, such as tumour or artery blockage. The digital images remain in a central archive database, allowing physicians and health professionals throughout Niagara to access them in their office or hospital.
Patient Safety
“From a radiologist’s perspective, these new scanners enable us to do more specialized types of exams more quickly and with sharper images,” says Niagara Health Chief of Radiology Dr. Amit Mehta. “The speed of the new units is amazing and it will make a difference to patients. Our older units meant patients would often have to hold their breath for five or more seconds. That doesn’t sound like much, but some patients simply can’t hold their breath for that long. Now, they only have to hold their breath for two seconds.”
Another benefit to patients is lower radiation exposure.
“We have had some of the lowest radiation doses for our CT exams when compared to some national studies, but with the new scanners, we have been able to further reduce the dose for many of our exams,” Dr. Mehta explains. “For patients who need a lot of diagnostic imaging tests, radiation exposure is a concern, and the units we have in place at our three acute sites allow us to do more scans safely.”
Complex Studies & Improved Wait Times
More complex studies or scans are now routinely being done at the St. Catharines General Site, such as cardiac studies (looking at images of the coronary arteries to evaluate for blockages to the heart) and non-invasive angiograms (dye is injected through a small intravenous catheter to show arteries anywhere in the body such as neck, head, chest, abdomen).
“We are performing state-of-the-art exams in Niagara,” says Dr. Mehta. “Patients no longer need to travel outside the region.”
“This new system gives us the capability to do everything,” Dr. Mehta says. “We’ll be able to do more types of exams than many teaching centres. This is state-of-the-art and puts us well ahead of a lot of other hospitals.” All the routine exams can also be done quicker with improved image quality and information, explains Bonnie Sipos, Regional Technical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory and Infection Control.
At Welland Site, the CT suite was renovated to handle the new unit with upgrades to the electrical and heating/ventilation systems, additional lead lining in walls, and a new lead window to the control room. During the five weeks of work, a portable CT was brought on site, so that wait times would not increase. About 900 patients received scans in the portable unit this summer.
“The NHS wait time is at the provincial average (40 days), and we expect to reduce this wait time with the new units in operation,” Bonnie says. “In Welland, we will increase our patient volumes from 9,600 scans per year to about 11,600, an increase of 20%. When you combine that total with Niagara Falls at 11,800 cases per year and St. Catharines at 18,000 (here two shifts operate seven days a week to keep up with demand for complex cases), we expect to do more than 40,000 scans per year.”
Donor Support
“Almost all diagnostic imaging equipment is very costly, and we are fortunate to have the support of our community through our hospital foundations,” says Dr. Mehta. “We negotiated an excellent price with our vendor for the new units, but even so, the foundations are looking for $2 million to cover the cost of the units and renovations. We sincerely thank the staff and campaign volunteers of the NHS Foundation, St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation and Welland Hospital Foundation for working with their donors to generate the funds needed. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.” More diagnostic enhancements are on the books for this fall, including the region’s first digital mammography unit, expanded scans on the MRI and a digital image repository that will provide one-stop shopping for healthcare professionals in southern Ontario to access patient images online.
