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Radiology

Diagnostic Imaging Services

Artesia General Hospital is the only facility in the region with accreditation from the American College of Radiology in all five imaging modalities, including CT, Ultrasound, MRI, Nuclear Medicine and Mammography. We provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic testing and treatments—both at the hospital’s main campus in Artesia and at the Carlsbad Open MRI & Imaging Center, an Outpatient Department of Artesia General Hospital. We use state-of-the-art equipment to provide non-invasive viewing of soft tissue, blood vessels and the skeletal system in a friendly, patient-centered environment. Our expertise spans all modalities of radiology to include:

• Bone Density
• CT Scans (Computerized Tomography)
• High Field Open MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Interventional Radiology
• 3D Mammography
• MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiogram)
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Nuclear Medicine
• Ultrasound
• Vascular Ultrasound
• X-rays

Care is provided by board-certified radiologists and technologists certified by the American College of Radiology. Our experienced and compassionate imaging services team is committed to supporting our patients and their families through the entire care experience.

Breast Imaging

Recognized for excellence in breast health by combining advanced technology with compassionate medical care and minimally invasive surgical techniques, the Imaging Center at Artesia General Hospital is staffed by a team of caring specialists who evaluate and treat both benign and malignant breast disease.

Artesia General Hospital was recently recognized as a Pink Ribbon Facility. Pink Ribbon Facilities are digital imaging centers that have been recognized as providing excellence in breast health, along with their exceptional commitment and support for the women of their community.

Mammography – Artesia General Hospital’s Center for Breast Care, as part of the Radiology Department, offers a comprehensive state-of-the-art program for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Artesia General Hospital is proud to offer 3-Dimensional mammography exams for the early, accurate diagnosis of breast cancer. The test uses a special, low-dose X-ray machine to take pictures of both breasts.

Screening mammogram appointments may take only about 15 minutes from start to finish. Learn more about the Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exam and request a mammogram online.

Mammography is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR). We meet all the requirements set forth by the FDA and Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). Following diagnostic testing, results are read and interpreted by our board-certified physicians.

Needle Localization Biopsy – When lumps or abnormalities in the breast are detected by physical examination or mammography, additional imaging studies may be recommended by your physician. However, it is not always possible to tell from these imaging tests whether a growth is benign or cancerous. In this case, a breast biopsy is performed to remove some cells—either surgically or through a less invasive procedure involving a hollow needle—from a suspicious area in the breast and examine them under a microscope to determine a diagnosis.

In needle localization biopsy, a special mammography machine uses ionizing radiation to help guide the radiologist’s instruments to the site of the abnormal growth. Our radiologist performs this procedure with our state-of-the-art Hologic Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exam.

Bone Densitometry

Artesia General Hospital offers bone mineral density (BMD) testing to definitively diagnose osteoporosis and detect low bone mass before osteoporosis develops.

We use the most widely recognized test for measuring bone mineral density.  It is a quick, painless, non-invasive technology known as dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). DEXA uses low levels of X-rays as a scanner passes over your body while you lie on a cushioned table. DEXA can be used to determine bone mineral density of the entire skeleton and at various sites that are prone to fracture. The bone density scan takes 10 minutes and is completely painless. Women can have a 3D mammogram and a bone mineral density test in one visit to our hospital.

CT & CTA

The Fujifilm SCENARIA View 128 is a powerful premium performance Computerized Tomography (CT) that is versatile and patient friendly. Its higher data sampling rate provides faster coverage without sacrificing image quality and the spacious design accommodates patients of all sizes. We are now able to do cardiac calcium scoring and computed tomography angiography (CTA).

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

The GE High Density Tesla magnet is state-of-the-art equipment that Artesia General Hospital proudly offers to physicians and patients as a diagnostic tool. This machine produces images of soft tissue and allows for Breast Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). It is the preferred diagnostic tool for brain, spinal cord and joint disorders.

Receiving an MRI is completely painless, and each scan is typically completed in about 30 minutes. Artesia General Hospital offers traditional (closed) MRI at the hospital in Artesia.

We are also proud to offer High Field Open MRI to our patients at the Carlsbad Open MRI & Imaging Center. High Field Open MRI is ideal for patients who may feel claustrophobic or anxious in a traditional MRI machine or who fit more comfortably in the spacious open format.

Nuclear Medicine

Our Nuclear Medicine department uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity and treatment of a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body. Because nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, they offer the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages, as well as a patient’s immediate response to therapeutic interventions.

Nuclear Medicine exams require that you receive an injection of a radioisotope into your system. Depending on the type of exam, the radiotracer is either injected into the body, swallowed or inhaled as a gas; it eventually accumulates in the organ or area of the body being examined. Radioactive emissions from the radiotracer are detected by a special camera or imaging device that produces pictures and detailed molecular information. Artesia General Hospital utilizes state-of-the-art Philips Medical Nuclear Medicine equipment.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound imagining, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation (as used in X-rays). Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.

Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. At Artesia General Hospital, we perform all basic ultrasound exams:

• Abdominal
• Breast
• Carotid
• Echocardiogram
• Extremity
• Pelvic OB and Non-OB
• Scrotal
• Soft Tissue/Palpable Mass
• Thyroid
• Vascular

Artesia General Hospital is also proud to offer ultrasound to our patients at the Carlsbad Open MRI & Imaging Center.

Locations

Radiology Accreditations