Scans allow us to see inside the body, helping us to identify the cause of a patient’s medical condition and plan an effective approach to treatment. As a patient of the Hospital, you may be asked to undergo one or more of the following scans:
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
- Dexa Bone Scan
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with whole-body imaging capability
- Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA, uses contrast)
- X-Rays
- Ultrasound
- Whole Body Imaging
Preparing for a scan
- Arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment
- Eat normally
- Continue to take your medication(s)
- Refrain from wearing jewellery and hair accessories, metallic nail varnish and remove all piercings
Notify the radiographer if you:
- Have a pacemaker, metallic joint prostheses or other medical or dental device implanted that may prove hazardous in MRI Scans
- Think you may be pregnant
- Have dark tattoos, as coloured inks can sometimes contain metallic substances.
Results
The HSE NIMIS system (National Integrated Medical Imaging System) is an electronic system that hosts x-rays, scans and radiologists’ reports. It is used by Hospital Consultants to access patient data for diagnosis and treatment planning and to reference historical data to monitor disease progression.
OSIC specialises in the imaging and diagnosis of complex sports injuries. Members of the team work closely with the Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine to formulate effective treatment plans to ensure athletes a safe and expeditious return to sport. OSIC offers interventional radiological medicine, a popular alternative to open surgery. This minimally invasive approach enables targetted treatment and faster recovery for patients.
Interventional Radiology is the use of image-guided technology for precision targetting of problem areas. This minimally invasive alternative to open surgery is ideal for fracture and pain management, biopsy, and tumour ablation. Needles are inserted through small incisions in the skin and guided by imaging technologies to the treatment site. This approach delivers multiple benefits for the patient and Hospital that include:
- Reduced treatment time
- Expedited recovery time
- Improved accuracy
- Better patient outcomes
Fracture Management and Bone Stablisation
Interventional Radiology is frequently used to treat vertebral compression fractures and herniated discs. Treatments include:
Vertebroplasty
This involves the injection of medical-grade cement to stablise spinal compression fractures.
Kyphoplasty
A small balloon inserts through a tube into the pedicle of the damaged vertebrae. Once in position, the balloon inflates, elevating the fracture and returning vertebrae to their normal position. The balloon is then removed, and medical-grade cement is injected to fill the cavity and stabilise the bones.
Discectomy
This involves the removal of herniated discs that may be impinging on the spinal cord.
Pain Management
Image-guided intervention is used to treat chronic shoulder, groin, peripheral joint and back pain, for conditions that include:
Shoulder pain
Subacromial bursitis +/-: An intense shoulder pain usually caused by the impingement of the bursa (fluid-filled sacks that cushion bones and tendons) between the rotator cuff tendons and bone.
Supraspinatus tendinopathy: Painful tendon tears caused by repetitive use.
Groin pain
Osteitis: Micro muscle tears and inflammation of the pubic symphysis.
Peripheral joint Pain
Osteoarthritis: a disease that causes pain and stiffness in joints.
Back pain
Treatment of painful conditions that include:
- Facet joint pain
- Selective root pain
- Caudal pain
- Sacroiliac joint pain
- Osteoporotic compression fractures: spinal fracture caused by a weakened skeleton
- Spinal metastatic disease: spinal tumours
- Haemangiomata: a mass of blood vessels
- Refractory disc disease with radicular symptoms
Treatments for back pain
Treatments for back pain include:
- Facet joint block
- Selective nerve root block
- Caudal epidural
- Sacroiliac joint steroid marcaine block
- Percutaneous Vertebroplasty (injection of medical-grade cement into a fractured vertebral body)
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty (employs balloon to restore structure and injection of medical-grade cement to stabilise vertebral position for spinal compression fractures)
- Percutaneous Discectomy (removal of part of a herniated disc)
Prof. Stephen Eustace
Sub Specialities | Image-Guided Therapeutic Intervention, Minimally Invasive Spinal Intervention, Musculoskeletal and Sports Imaging
Prof. Eoin Kavanagh
Sub Subspecialty: Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology