Imaging Services

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
This kind of testing uses a strong magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of the inside of the body which are viewed on video monitors. Our Lady of the Lake is the only facility in the Baton Rouge area accredited by the American College of Radiology in Cardiac MRI. Cardiac MRI is an innovative, noninvasive, radiation-free method of viewing the heart, heart valves, arteries and veins of the body to diagnose conditions and diseases that affect the heart.

3T MRI (3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging)
This leading-edge MRI technology is twice as powerful as traditional or open MRI scans, and provides doctors with superb anatomic detail. And because they are two times more powerful, they can be completed much more quickly.

CT scans (computerized tomography)
In this type of imaging, a computer takes data from several X-ray images and converts them into pictures on a video monitor.

640 slice CT scanner
This is an advanced technology which produces lightning-quick scans, such as quick scans of the heart for use in the emergency room.

Nuclear medicine
This describes an array of tests that use small amounts of radioactive material to help in the diagnosis various illnesses including cancer, heart disease, as well as gastrointestinal, endocrine and neurological disorders.

Ultrasound scans
These are images created using sound or other vibrations. Also known as sonograms, these tests often are used to examine the womb in pregnant women.

PET scans (positron emission tomography)
These are imaging tests that use a special dye containing a radioactive tracer, which is injected into the arm. The tracer is absorbed into organs and tissues and shows up clearly on the scan images.

SPECT scans (single-photon emission computerized tomography)
This type of nuclear imaging uses a radioactive substance and a special camera to create 3-D pictures. As X-rays are often useful for examining bones, SPECT scans are useful for viewing organs.

Neural biplane
Patients with aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and other problems with vessels within the brain can now be treated with the latest neuro imaging. The technology makes possible 3- dimensional angiography, a kind of x-ray is used to see blood flow in blood vessels located in the brain. The system includes a number of digital flat-screens both inside and outside the operating area capable of producing cross-sectional images of the brain, like a CT scan. This dramatically improved view reduces operating time and subjects patients to less radiation, fewer injections of contrast dye, and lower likelihood of complications.

Neuro biplane angiography is the latest in minimally invasive technologies available. The addition of the biplane has expanded our ability to care for patients with stroke, vascular disease, aneurysms and other complex neurological and vascular conditions.