Your 5-year-old daughter’s pediatrician recommends a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to get a closer look at an area of concern after she has a hard fall. You think about where to schedule the procedure, realizing this might be a frightening experience for your child.
Because parents can choose where they would like their child to undergo imaging tests, it is important to be educated about all imaging options. The Joe Buck Imaging Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where radiologists perform more than 100,000 radiology exams yearly, offers a variety of amenities that are designed to put families at ease and meet the special needs of children.
“If you walk into most hospitals, everything is geared toward adults,” explains Robert McKinstry, MD, PhD, radiologist-inchief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and associate professor of radiology and pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine. “Everyone here is focused on providing a superior patient experience in an environment where everything is geared toward children—from kid-sized equipment and the lowest dosages of radiation possible to the decorations on the walls. Kids feel comfortable from the time they enter the door.”
Beyond traditional X-rays, the following imaging services are available at the Joe Buck Imaging Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital:
- computed tomography (CT) scans to view the body’s organs using the lowest radiation dose allowable
- CT angiography to non-invasively view blood vessels throughout the body
- interventional radiology, a subspecialty of radiology that uses image-guided, minimally invasive procedures, sometimes as an alternative to conventional surgery. Some techniques are diagnostic while others are used for treatment purposes. X-rays, ultrasounds and other medical images are used to guide small instruments through the blood vessels or other pathways to treat disease.
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to create detailed pictures of the anatomy without exposure to ionizing radiation
- positron emission tomography (PET) scans to diagnose health threats such as cancer and heart disease
- ultrasound to non-invasively identify the cause of pain, swelling or infection in various areas of the body
When your child receives imaging services at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, you will not feel rushed through the process. Physicians and radiologists take their time to ensure the most accurate results possible.
Click Here to learn more about the Joe Buck Imaging Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.