ZILKHA RADIOLOGY has low dose CT scanners in the West Islip and East Islip offices.
All patients undergoing CT scans need to be concerned about radiation dose exposure.  This is especially true for children and patients who require follow-up CT studies.  There is a need for radiology groups and hospitals to reduce the dose of your CT scan while maintaining or improving imaging quality and higher diagnostic confidence.
Zilkha Radiology has taken the lead to lower radiation dose by implementing a newly developed technology that achieves excellent images while using a significantly lower dose of radiation. We optimize diagnostic quality while keeping patient safety our number one priority.

Zilkha Radiology acquired this new FDA approved technology which is currently used in children’s hospitals around the country  where low dose CT is the highest priority. How does this technology work?  The amount of radiation generated by the CT source is significantly lowered.  A “noisy” image is produced.  A very powerful computer mathematically removes this noise making high resolution pictures.  Dose is consistently reduced on the order of 50-60% for patients scanned before and after the acquisition of this technology.
The following case is an example of how the new software has a significant impact in dose reduction.  A patient had a CT scan of the chest in December 2009 with a radiation dose of 5.20 mSv.  The patient had a follow-up CT on October 2010.  Using the newly installed low dose technology, the radiation dose was reduced to 2.52 mSv, a reduction of 52%.

Dosage Card - Front
Click on image to enlarge

Zilkha Radiology often sees patients who have had CT scans at other offices or hospitals, and who want to have their follow-up CT scans in our office because of the new technology.  In one such instance, a patient had a CT scan of the chest at another facility on December 2011.  At that visit, the patient received a radiation dose of 12.36 mSv.  The patient came to our office five months later for a follow-up chest CT.  The radiation dose received at Zilkha Radiology was 3.69 mSv, a much lower radiation dose.  The 12.36 mSv is more than three hundred percent higher when compared to the dose at Zilkha Radiology.  We have encountered similar instances of patients with higher dose of radiation received at other facilities, including hospitals, hospital affiliated facilities and other radiology groups.  Zilkha Radiology believes so deeply in this technology that the patient’s dose is printed on every report sent to their doctor. If you want to have your follow up CT at Zilkha Radiology, bring in your prior study and we can tell you what your radiation dose was on your prior CT scan.

Zilkha Radiology is the first and only practice in the Northeast, New York State and Long Island to acquire and provide this new low dose technology in our West Islip and East Islip offices.  We optimize diagnostic quality while keeping patient safety our number one priority.           

The offices are accredited by the American College of Radiology.  

The facility is accredited to perform monitored anesthesia by Board Certified Anesthesiologists.

The facility is equipped to perform blood work analysis prior to contrast injection. 
 
 
 
 

What is nuclear medicine scan?


  

Nuclear medicine uses a small amount of radioactive material called tracer or radionuclide. The purpose of the study is to provide an image that evaluates organ function and locates disease and tumors. Nuclear medicine scans also show the size, shape and position of the organ being scanned. These images are obtained with a spatial camera capable of analyzing the energy produced by the radioactive substance.


How should you prepare for the nuclear medicine scan?



Our office will inform you about any specific instructions for eating prior to the exam. Wear loose, comfortable clothing for the test. The radioactive material used is made precisely for the time of your test, so it is very important that you be on time for the examination. Please inform our office about any medication you are taking which could interfere with the radioactive materials.

What can you expect during the exam?
Depending on the part of the body to be examined, you may need to wear a hospital gown. Remove all jewelry, dentures and other metals that may affect the scan.

Prior to the scan, you will be given a small amount of radioactive material either by injection or orally. The radiotracer will eventually collect in the organ being examined. This may take minutes or hours or even days depending on the type of the examination. A special camera called a gamma camera and a computer are used to collect the necessary information from the tracer.

How long does the procedure take?

The amount of time for the procedure varies with each test. For many tests, a certain amount of time is needed which can be from a few minutes to a few hours. In some procedures, you may have to come back a day or two later to complete the exam. Our technologist will inform you in detail about this part of the study.


What are the risks of a nuclear medicine scan?

Nuclear medicine procedures are very safe. The amount of radioactive material used is extremely small. The radioactivity of the tracer is very short lived and exposure to radiation is limited.


When will you know the results?

The pictures are reviewed by a radiologist who is a specially trained physician in nuclear medicine. The radiologist will send your doctor a written report. You should contact your physician within 2-3 days of the exam to make an appointment to go over your results and discuss your next step.

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