Photo Finish

From snapping selfies to viewing videos, we live in the age of images. At North Kansas City Hospital, we love pictures, too, especially when they can help us save lives or make our patients more comfortable.

Read on to learn about new imaging technologies that help us diagnose and treat patients.

Blood Draws: Veinsite Locator

If your veins play an unwanted game of hide-and-seek when it’s time to have blood drawn, our lab assistants can use the Veinsite^® device to find them. Near infrared light reacts with hemoglobin in the blood to make blood show up darker when viewed through the locator. This technology is great for patients who are elderly, dehydrated, or who have dark skin tones.

Cancer Treatment: SBRT

Stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT, uses 3-D imaging to pinpoint the location of lung, brain and prostate cancer tumors. As a result, the radiation precisely targets the tumor, making treatment safer, faster and less expensive than traditional radiation therapy. Patients usually have five or fewer total treatment sessions compared with the typical 45.

Complex Aneurysms: 3mensio

Using 3mensio Vascular imaging software, our surgeons can now use a minimally invasive approach to repair complex abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. With 3mensio, surgeons can precisely size and custom-fit grafts to repair the damaged area. Previously, they were limited to off-the-shelf grafts that didn’t work for everyone.

MRI: 3 Tesla

The next time you’re scheduled for an MRI test, our new 3 Tesla, or 3T, machine might be an option. The 3T gives doctors higher-quality images in less time when compared with standard machines. Along with shorter scan times, the 3T has a wider opening, which benefits larger people or people with claustrophobia.

When you need quick and convenient diagnostic testing and imaging, we can help. In addition to North Kansas City Hospital, we offer imaging at several Northland locations:

• Medical Imaging
• Tremont Imagining
• Women’s Imaging