Nuclear Medicine

Mary Black Health System's Nuclear Medicine Department offers the latest technology, including what is known as "Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)." Used for assessing the function of a variety of body systems, this technology creates extremely detailed two or three dimensional images to accurately depict the physiology and function of an internal organ instead of only its anatomy. SPECT often facilitates a more efficient and rapid diagnosis than is possible with other imaging techniques.

Nuclear Medicine scans perform assessments in  procedures such as: bone, kidney, thyroid, liver, spleen, and gallbladder scans, as well as lung ventilation perfusion scans, parathyroid lymphoscintiography, cardiac perfusion and function,  red and white blood cell gastric empting , thyroid treatment, and gi bleed studies.

Nuclear Medicine also offers an Advanced Cardiac Program which allows 3-D computer imaging of the heart in motion; and important assessments can be made while stressing the heart (by walking a treadmill or by receiving pharmacological stress testing by adenosine or dobutamine injection).  Being able to watch the heart function on the computer screen helps physicians study blood flow and determine heart damage, if any. This is a non-invasive procedure that physicians can utilize in patients who may be a poor candidate for more, invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization. The heart image can be manipulated on the screen to allow the physician views of the beating heart from numerous angles. Myocardial perfusion testing in Nuclear Medicine can identify heart disease in its earliest stages, allowing physicians to recommend various effective methods for controlling its progression. In With this process, a radioisotope is injected and images of the functioning heart are obtained. The absorption or rejection of the drug solution by different areas of the heart indicate where disease is present and where the damage has occurred.

For more information about the hospital's Nuclear Medicine program, call the Radiology Department at 864-573-3865.