Sutter Gould Diagnostic Imaging

Persistent headaches that can’t be explained, pain or trauma caused by a fall or accident, or abdominal pain that doesn’t go away all are reasons your physician may send you for a diagnostic imaging exam. With the remarkable ability to see under your skin and into your organs, diagnostic imaging provides answers to medical questions previously only understood through exploratory surgery.

We offer diagnostic imaging services ensuring that your exam can be performed on the full range of medical imaging equipment by a certified radiologic technologist close to home. Your images will be interpreted by a highly skilled radiologist, stored in our enterprise electronic health record system, and available to you and your physician.

Computed Tomography (CT)

A CT scan is an X-ray-based procedure in which multiple "slices" of data are acquired of the body part being imaged as you lie on a table and are advanced into a donut-shaped machine. Sutter's imaging locations use ultra-fast, advanced multi-slice CT, enabling the delivery of the lowest possible radiation dose. Common uses of CT include the detection of tumors, infections, internal bleeding and trauma, blood vessel blockages (CT angiogram) and colon cancer.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI uses a strong magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce images of great detail. MRI is used to image many parts of the body, including tissues and organs. Because radiation is not required, MRI may be used in place of CT and other imaging modalities in children and pregnant women. Sutter locations offer a wide range of scanners, including wide-bore MRI for patients who become anxious in close spaces.

Ultrasound

Also called sonography, ultrasound uses sound waves instead of radiation to produce images of your organs, blood vessels and other structures within your body. A small amount of gel is placed on the skin and a wand called a transducer is pressed against the area being examined. The wand emits sound waves that are processed into pictures by a computer. Ultrasound often is used to distinguish breast cancer from cysts, diagnose abdominal pain and liver disease, detect kidney stones and blockages in the veins and arteries, and guide biopsies.

X-ray and Fluoroscopy

X-rays can be taken as single frame pictures or moving pictures to see an internal organ in action, called fluoroscopy. Both X-ray and fluoroscopy machines use a small amount of radiation to acquire the images, commonly used to diagnose fractures, chest congestion and blockages in the gastrointestinal tract and other organs.