Waikato Business News June/July 2018

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS June/July 2018 33
Hamilton Radiology’s new
scanner great for patients
Hamilton Radiology’s new CT scanner is so
quick it’s all over in a heartbeat. Literally.
The machine, installed
at the end of last year,
can take a full cardiac
(heart) scan in the time it takes
for the heart to beat once. That
opens up a lot of possibilities.
It is the biggest privately
owned CT in New Zealand,
and represents a massive step
up from Hamilton Radiology’s
existing scanner.
The new $3 million
machine means scanning can
be done more quickly and with
greater detail, allowing for
quicker, more accurate diagnosis
and minimising, or in some
cases eliminating, the need for
invasive procedures.
Since the start of the year, it
has been used to scan hundreds
of patients at Hamilton Radiology’s
Thackeray St premises.
The CT scanner, bought
from global company GE, is
capable of performing single-beat,
motion-free coronary
images at any heart rate, says
Hamilton Radiology board
chairperson Dr Diane Sommerville,
who is one of the 18
Hamilton and Rotorua-based
specialist radiologists in the
practice.
“For patients, it means they
will be able to get an accurate
diagnosis regardless of their
heart rate,” she says.
“For referrers, this gives
more patients access to this
important test for the diagnosis
of coronary artery heart disease.”
“But cardiac is only one
of its many uses, and any part
of the body can be scanned.
Tisza Sargeant, nuclear medical technologist and
Jennika Kelly, medical imaging technologist.
Among the range are orthopaedic
work, body scans (including
CT ‘virtual colonoscopy’
of the bowel) and cancer imaging,”
says Dr Sommerville.
One of the gains for patients
from the improving technology,
including its increased
speed, is that more information
is available for an equal or
lesser radiation dose than was
possible in the past.
The greater level of detail
also allows for a reduction
in invasive or complex and
more expensive techniques.
If the CT scan shows that the
patient’s problem can be dealt
with by an adjustment of medication,
that can remove the
need for surgery altogether.
Apart from the increased
GE Revolution 512 CT.
width of the scanning detectors
and faster scan times, the
other major improvement is
the ability to use GSI Spectral
Imaging.
This allows the scanner to
deal with metal, such as hip
replacements, which is difficult,
if not impossible, for
smaller machines.
“Before, if somebody had
a lot of metal, like a hip or
shoulder replacement, a metal
plate for a fracture or spinal
fixation rods, there was a lot of
artefact from that. This meant
we couldn't really interpret the
image very well, but now using
the spectral programme it's so
much better,” Dr Sommerville
says.
All up, the new CT scanner
project has cost $3.5
million, with purpose-built
rooms added at the Thackeray
Street premises. Patients come
from as far afield as Hawke’s
Bay and Taranaki as well as
Waikato, Lakes and Bay of
Plenty. Radiologists are always
on site to analyse the results,
and the team offers same-day
reporting to the referring doctor.
“The scanner provides the
people of the Waikato region
with access to one of the most
sophisticated CT scanners
available in private practice
anywhere in New Zealand.”
Hamilton Radiology has
five branches in Hamilton and
four other regional offices,
offering a range of imaging
procedures including general
radiography, mammography,
and pregnancy and other ultrasounds
and ECG.
HAMILTON RADIOLOGY INTRODUCES 512 SLICE CT
Offering unparalleled care and expertise
Nic Ross, Charge CT Technologist.
Jasmine McCarthy, CT Technologist; Nic Ross, Charge CT
Technologist and Dr Diane Sommerville, Radiologist and
Practice Chair.
CT receptionists Fiona MacKenzie and Fay Bird.
Hamilton Radiology is the Waikato’s largest private medical imaging facility. With the latest medical imaging equipment and a highly
trained, experienced team of technical staff and 14 local radiologists, we offer an unparalleled standard of care and expertise.
Our latest aquistion GE’s Revolution CT offering unparallel imaging quality. This CT is the most advanced CT in private practice in
New Zealand.
Now offering digital mammography, lower dose clearer images.
Appointments are essential for Ultrasound and CT:
Please phone our freephone 0800 426 723
No appointments needed for plain x-ray films, all referrals accepted.
S5758C
Anglesea Imaging Centre, Gate 2, 11 Thackery St, Hamilton
Hamilton Radiology.co.nz