Fort Hamilton Hospital offers exceptional cancer, cardiology and brain imaging radiology services

Fort Hamilton Hospital has acquired a Philips GEMINI TruFlight (TF) PET/CT system, combining Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technologies in one scanner. PET/CT is a powerful diagnostic approach that can help physicians to make more accurate evaluations and help determine the most beneficial course of action. PET/CT has been shown to provide exceptional performance for many applications, including cancer, cardiology and brain imaging. The PET/CT system at Fort Hamilton Hospital is the only hospital-based PET/CT in Butler County.

"We're very pleased to be able to offer our patients this important advancement in diagnostic imaging," says Lynn Oswald, Senior Vice President, "The system is advantageous in many ways - it allows us to merge PET and CT when needed, yet operates equally well for stand-alone PET or CT exams."

In some cases, PET renders critical diagnostic information that other imaging tests may not provide. While other techniques such as X-ray or CT show structural anatomy, PET shows metabolic activity within the body. These metabolic "hot spots" and corresponding functional abnormalities can reveal disease states before structural damage is evident. In some instances, this early detection can alter the course of action. For instance, a physician may be able to avoid sending a patient for a biopsy or another invasive procedure. This in turn can help lower the cost of care.

The most common applications of PET in cancer patients are for aiding diagnosis when other tests are inconclusive, staging the extent of cancer, and detecting recurrent disease before it escalates or spreads.With the system, PET studies are often fused with CT images to provide a more thorough assessment. Incorporating the CT image data allows clinicians to better view structural detail, such as the location of changes in tissue, or the size of the changes.

In addition, the scanner is particularly patient-friendly. Physicians can acquire diagnostic CT, PET or PET/CT images from just one non-invasive scan. The system features a unique open gantry that promotes patient comfort and allows staff to interact with the patient during the scan.

"Some patients are apprehensive about the full enclosure of a traditional imaging gantry, so this system is a huge improvement toward helping patients relax and feel more comfortable," said Linda Reilman, M.D., medical director. "We find that patients really appreciate being able to see and talk to our technologists while on the table."

New evening hours offered for MRI patients

Fort Hamilton Hospital is pleased to announce that extended evening hours are now being offered to patients who need to have MRI. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 513-867-2382.