How safe are X-rays?

The risks associated with medical X-rays are frequently exaggerated. It is estimated that the chances of contracting cancer as a result of an X-ray of the chest, for example, are similar to the risks of contracting cancer by inhaling the smoke of one cigarette – about one in a million.
If you are worried about any treatment or scans you may be having, speak again to your GP or the hospital staff. They can refer to your medical records and if they know of your concerns they will always make time to explain the examination or treatment in more detail. You can find out more about radiation from medical X-rays on the Public Health England website.

What is ultrasound?

Ultrasound consists of high-frequency sound waves too high for the human ear to detect, rather like the noise used by bats and dolphins to determine where they are. These waves are emitted by an ultrasound probe and travel harmlessly through the body bouncing off various layers of tissue. The probe then hears these echoes which are relayed onto a screen allowing the pictures to be interpreted. Ultrasound is now the method of choice for monitoring the fetus during pregnancy and in the diagnosis of numerous conditions involving organs such as the liver, kidney, heart, and blood vessels.

What is a CAT or CT scan?

Computed axial tomography (CT scan) is simply another X-ray technique using a scanner that takes a series of pictures across the body allowing the radiologist to view the i/i/imagess in two dimensional or three-dimensional form. Spiral CT is the most modern form of this imaging with the pictures being produced in only a few seconds

What is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

This test is similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism and radio waves to build up a series of cross-sectional i/i/imagess. MRI pictures as so precise that they often provide as much information as directly looking at the tissues. For this reason, MRI has the potential to reduce the number of certain diagnostic procedures. MRI uses no X-rays and the magnetic fields are not known to be harmful. However, it takes longer to obtain the pictures than a conventional X-ray machine, and although the price is coming down all the time, the cost of the equipment means that they are used primarily in those centers where they are kept most busy.

What is fluoroscopy?

This machine produces a constant stream of X-rays so that it works in real-time, enabling the doctor to view a changing i/i/images continuously, as in an interventional procedure. A digital unit produces an i/i/images where the picture elements (pixels) have a numerical value and this technology normally delivers a lower dose of radiation than the previous analog system whilst providing high definition, high-resolution i/i/imagess.

What is interventional radiology?

It is a medical sub-specialty of radiology utilizing minimally-invasive i/i/images-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in nearly every organ system. Your interventional radiologist will use a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound to get a good look at the part of your body they need to treat. Next, they put a tool such as a needle, catheter (a tube), or wire into your body through a small cut.

What is a mammography?

The technique of using X-rays of the breast to detect irregularities or early signs of cancer.