DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) examinations estimate the amount of bone mineral content in specific areas of your body. DEXA utilizes two types of X-Rays that allow the Radiologist to make an estimation of bone density by showing the difference between bone and soft tissue.
While DEXA uses x-rays, the radiation dose is less than during a chest x-ray. It is a painless exam that requires no injections, invasive procedures, sedation, special diet or any other advance preparation.
Nearly 10 million Americans have osteoporosis; a bone disease that greatly increases the risk of bone fracture. Risk factors for osteoporosis include:
DEXA is a critical screening technique in both the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, as well as for other conditions that cause bone loss. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors for osteoporosis and the importance of DEXA screening.
A DEXA exam usually consists of a spine and a single hip scan. It will take about 20 minutes to perform the exam. Our technician will ask you to lie very still on the scan table and breathe normally as the scanner passes over the areas being evaluated. After the exam is complete you will be able to return to your normal activities.
Ultrasound, or sonography, is a diagnostic imaging technique used to visualize muscles, tendons, and many internal organs. It is commonly used to evaluate the size, structure and any pathological lesions of the abdominal and pelvic organs, breast, thyroid glands and heart, as well as the blood flow in arteries and veins.
Ultrasound is a safe, painless diagnostic procedure that bounces high-frequency sound waves off parts of the body and captures the returning "echoes" as images. It has been used by radiologists and sonographers for the past 50 years, becoming one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in modern medicine.
There is no injection or radiation exposure associated with ultrasound.
Depending on the type of study, an ultrasound typically takes between 15 and 30 minutes to complete. Our sonographer will help position you on a comfortable exam table and a clear gel, used as a conductor, will be applied to your skin. A hand-held device that sends and receives ultrasound waves called a transducer is moved back and forth over the area of your body being imaged.
These images are captured on a television-like monitor and transferred to film for our radiologist to review and interpret for your physician. After the exam is complete you will be able to return to your normal activities.
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