Diagnostic Imaging Services

Seeing more than meets the eye is the goal of imaging services at LV Stabler Memorial Hospital (LVS). Whether it’s an ultrasound, CT scan or mammogram, taking a picture of what’s happening inside your body can help physicians reach the proper diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

With care and compassion, the medical staff of our radiology department offers a full range of services with these tools:

• Bone densitometry measures the density of the spine, hip and other bones—the most frequent sites of fracture—and compares it to an established norm to produce a score. This number helps your physician determine your risk of developing osteoporosis. A bone density test is a relatively simple, quick and painless way to determine your bone health. DPX Bone Densitometer is available in the radiology department. 
   
• Mammography, a special X-ray of the breasts, can detect lumps and other forms of breast disease that may be too small to be felt even by an experienced examiner. Early detection affords the best opportunity for a cure. See Women’s Health Services for more information.
   
• Computerized tomography (CT) creates detailed images of your body’s internal organs using X-rays with computer technology. The doughnut-shaped scanner uses radiation to create cross-sectional images, or “slices,” that help physicians detect tumors, heart disease or internal injuries or bleeding. A CT scan may require that you not eat or drink if you have to drink a contrast liquid—which helps healthcare providers see body structures more clearly—or have a contrast dye injected before the test.
   
  LVS offers Spiral CT scanning which reduces the average scanning time from 45 minutes to 15 minutes and provides higher resolution scans than traditional CT scanning devices.
   
• Echocardiogram is a test in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart, which provides the doctor with important information about the size of the chambers of the heart and the pumping function of the heart. A team consisting of a cardiologist, nuclear medicine technologist and a respiratory therapist performs this service.
   
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head, body, muscles and blood flow. Because an MRI provides a clear view of internal organs and tissues, it helps physicians diagnose injuries and other health conditions much faster than with other technologies. For patients who have pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, a computed tomography (CT) scan may be a safer imaging tool. (The devices may malfunction during an MRI scan). LVS provides mobile MRI services on Thursdays.
   
• Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to evaluate organs in the body and commonly to examine fetal development. Detailed images are returned in real time, making ultrasound particularly helpful for guiding minimally invasive procedures—such as needle biopsies—and for visualizing organ, blood vessel and tissue movement. Ultrasound services are available through LVS’s Radiology Department.
   
• Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive materials to perform heart studies and diagnose bone cancer, bone infections and stress fractures. The radioactive materials are introduced into the patient’s body by injection, swallowing or inhalation. Special cameras that work with computers detect the radioactive materials to provide sharp images of the body.
   
  LVS offers comprehensive Nuclear Medicine/Diagnostic Testing. Call 334-383-2321 or send a message to our director through our Contact Us section to learn more about the various nuclear medicine testing available.

If you need an imaging study, you can feel confident in LVS’s technology and the extensively trained team.

Early detection is key!

When it comes to disease, early diagnosis is key to effective treatment. If you need advanced imaging, you can get it close to home at LV Stabler Memorial Hospital. To see how our imaging services can help you, call 334-383-2327 or send a message to our director through our Contact Us section for more information.