Suburban Imaging in the News

With quick response and use of an AED, Suburban Imaging staff members were able to aid a patient who went into sudden cardiac arrest.

From ABC Newspapers:
Kay Ludwig, 64, Anoka, a registered nurse and a wife with four children and 11 grandchildren survived a sudden cardiac arrest. According to Ludwig, a visit to her doctor led the doctor to schedule her for an ultrasound at Suburban Imaging [Coon Rapids] to investigate a possible gall bladder problem, but when she went to Suburban Imaging Dec. 5, 2012, she started feeling dizzy on the table “and was gone.”

Fortunately, staff at Suburban Imaging immediately began CPR and an AED in the facility was used to get her heart beating again normally, Ludwig said.

“I felt that I had just fallen asleep and had a beautiful dream,” she said. “I am thankful to God that there was an AED and people there who knew how to use it otherwise I would not be alive today.”

Read the full article.

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Two Suburban Imaging Radiologists Named “Best Doctors for Women”

Dr. Ellen Abeln and Dr. Kevin Henseler were named Best Doctors for Women in radiology in the January 2013 issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine.

Dr. Kevin Henseler and Dr. Ellen Abeln

Dr. Abeln is Medical Director of The Breast Center of Suburban Imaging in Coon Rapids, MN. This is her fifth time being selected as a “Best Doctor.” As a breast imaging radiologist, Dr. Abeln is an advocate of breast health and breast cancer reduction, including annual mammography starting at age 40. “Breast cancer is a scary diagnosis. Annual screening mammography is the best protection against breast cancer, but also provides peace of mind. I try to help manage any anxiety my patients may be experiencing,” said Dr. Abeln. Continue reading

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Understanding Blood Clots

Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton was recently hospitalized due to a blood clot found in her brain during a follow-up MRI. Dr. Bradley Close, an interventional radiologist at Suburban Imaging said a blood clot is like a cork or plug. “Whatever vessel the blood clot is in, the vessel is like a tube that has a plug blocking the blood flow,” he said.

Blood clots can occur in arteries (which carry oxygenated blood away from the heart), and veins (which carry de-oxygenated blood back to the heart). Blood clots can occur anywhere in the body, but most commonly forms in the legs, called Deep Vein Thrombosis, stated Dr. Close. “Sometimes the clot will move and travel to the lungs, which is called a pulmonary embolus (PE). PE can create shortness of breath and chest pain, and rarely can be fatal; it can usually be seen in a hospitalized patient,” he said. A blood clot can move to other places in the body, too. If it moves to the brain, it frequently causes stroke; a clot in the heart can cause a heart attack.

Ultrasound images of a leg.

Continue reading

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How to use your remaining FSA money

It’s always a tough decision at benefit re-enrollment time to figure out how much money to put into your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for the next year. Put in too little and you miss out on pre-tax savings and convenience. Put in too much and you’ve just thrown money away.

If you have leftover FSA money, Suburban Imaging has several beneficial health screenings and exams that may be of interest to you.

CT Lung Screening – for current or former smokers
A chest CT lung cancer screening is a low-dose (low-radiation) chest CT exam used to detect early stage lung cancer before signs or symptoms appear.

If you are over the age of 50 and a current or former tobacco user (cigarettes, cigars or pipes), you may be at risk for lung cancer. Other factors include:

  • Exposure to second-hand smoke
  • Exposure to asbestos or radon

Chest CT lung cancer screenings are not covered by most insurance companies. The cost of a screening is $225.00.

Heartview Scan – measures plaque in coronary arties
A Heartview scan (or cardiac calcium scoring), is a quick and non-invasive test that uses a CT exam to detect and measure the amount of calcium in your coronary arteries, an indicator of heart disease. Cardiac Calcium Scoring can detect calcium deposits before they get large enough to obstruct the blood vessel.

An appropriate candidate is male, age 35-70, or female, age 40-70, who has any of the following factors:

  • Family history of heart disease
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Overweight

The cost of a screening is $275.00, although some insurance plans now pay for Cardiac Calcium Scoring with a physician’s referral. Please check with your insurance company.

Virtual Colonoscopy – important colorectal screening for anyone over age 50
To screen for colon cancer, a colonoscopy is recommended starting at age 50 and then every 10 years by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Virtual colonoscopy is a far less invasive alternative to conventional endoscopic colonoscopy. Using state-of-the-art medical imaging, radiologists are able to detect polyps without subjecting you to the risks, pain and inconvenience associated with conventional colonoscopy. While colonoscopy is usually covered by insurance, not all providers cover virtual colonoscopy. Please check with your insurance company.

Varicose Veins/Spider Veins Treatments
Suburban Imaging’s interventional radiologists offer consultations and treatments for varicose veins and spider veins. Varicose veins are enlarged veins that become visible underneath the skin and appear elongated, bulging and rope-like. Spider veins are smaller than varicose veins and look like red or blue spider webs near the surface of the skin.

The following treatments are available:

  • Sclerotherapy for spider veins
  • Venous ablation for varicose veins
  • Ambulatory phlebectomy for varicose veins

You do not need a doctor’s referral for a consultation or treatment. Treatment may be covered by your insurance company if you experience pain or other symptoms. If being performed for cosmetic reasons, coverage is usually denied.

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The Breast Center of Suburban Imaging Partnering with Caribou Coffee to Support Breast Cancer Awareness

This October, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Breast Center of Suburban Imaging is in its fifth year of partnering with Caribou Coffee for their Amy’s Blend promotion.

Amy’s Blend is a coffee developed by Caribou, in tribute to Amy Erickson, a beloved Caribou Coffee roast-master, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995, at age 33.  The coffee is sold, on an annual basis, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Cancer Care.

Beginning Saturday, September 29th, Caribou customers can purchase coffee or tea to donate.  Caribou brings all of the donated coffee (from three of their local stores) directly to The Breast Center of Suburban Imaging, where the donated coffee is then handed out to patients whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.

We are proud to participate in the Amy’s Blend program to support Breast Cancer Awareness in the community.

For more information about Amy’s Blend go to www.cariboucoffee.com

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Breast Cancer Awareness: What you should know about breast density

Breasts are considered dense if they primarily consist of fibrous or glandular tissue and little fatty tissue. Much like lumps, both benign and cancerous, dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram making it difficult to distinguish normal tissue from cancer. Current research suggests that women with dense breasts are at increased risk for breast cancer compared to women with fatty breasts.

When reading your mammogram, a radiologist assigns it to one of four categories of breast density. 10% of women in the U.S. have extremely dense breasts while another 10% have almost entirely fatty breasts. The remaining 80% of women are classified into one of the two middle categories. For most women, there is little to no decrease in density with age.

If you are classified as having dense breasts, it is recommended that you continue to have an annual mammogram. Although dense breast tissue makes it more difficult to see, many cancers continue to be found using the screening tool of mammography. For patients who have additional risk factors for breast cancer, ultrasound and MRI exams are available in addition to mammogram to aid in diagnosis. If you have any concerns, please discuss with your doctor which exams are right for you.

Regardless of your breast density, we recommend an annual mammogram starting at age 40.

For more information: www.mammographysaveslives.org

Dr. McKeon- Meghan R. McKeon, MD
Breast Radiologist
Medical Director, Fairview Southdale Breast Center

 

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Radiation in Medical Imaging

The use of medical imaging has revolutionized the field of medicine and has significantly advanced the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care people receive, improving health outcomes.

Imaging equipment has become more widely available and the number of imaging exams performed each year has also increased. Attention to radiation exposure from medical imaging exams has also grown.

There is some concern that radiation from medical x-rays could minimally increase your risk of developing cancer later in life. This potential risk decreases with age, so attention to radiation exposure is most important for children and young adults.

There is no definitive scientific evidence that radiation from medical imaging exams causes cancer. To be safe, the medical community advocates taking reasonable precautions to limit the radiation exposure from medical imaging, including:

  • Image only when there is a clear reason
  • Use the least amount of radiation needed for a quality diagnostic exam
  • Image only the indicated area
  • Limit multiple scans
  • Suggest alternative imaging exams that do not use radiation, such as MRI or ultrasound, when appropriate

Suburban Imaging has procedures in place to ensure that each exam is appropriate by following the American College of Radiology’s Appropriateness Criteria®.  To ensure that we use the lowest radiation dose necessary to obtain good quality images, Suburban Imaging continually evaluates our processes and exam protocols. Read more about Radiation Safety at Suburban Imaging >>

Dr. Moffit- Suzanne C. Moffit, DO
Body and Breast Radiologist
Radiation Safety Officer

 

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Mpls/St. Paul Magazine shares our opinion . . . Dr. Richard Carlson voted a Top Doctor

Richard A. Carlson, M.D., FACRRichard A. Carlson, M.D., FACR has been recognized as a standout in the field of radiology in the 2012 Top Doctors Edition of Mpls/St. Paul Magazine.

Dr. Carlson has dedicated his professional career to advancing breast imaging in his professional practice and for the hospitals and clinics we serve. His professional life goal is to reduce mortality from breast cancer and enhance the quality of breast care in the population whom we serve.

Dr. Carlson is a dedicated leader in radiology and mammography standards on state and national levels. He is also a committed volunteer for the University of Minnesota Medical School.

We congratulate Dr. Carlson on the honor of being named a Top Doctor.
Learn more about Dr. Carlson and his accomplishments >>

To see a complete list of the 2012 Top Doctors and how the list is compiled visit: www.mspmag.com

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Meningiomas in the News

Popular singer Sheryl Crow announced last week that she has a benign (non-cancerous) brain tumor called a meningioma. A meningioma occurs from the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. According to the Mayo Clinic, meningiomas appear most commonly in older women, but can also appear in males and people of any age.

Sheryl Crow said she had been having memory issues, and forgot lyrics to one of her songs. Memory loss is a symptom of this kind of tumor. Other symptoms include vision changes, hearing loss, headaches that worsen over time, seizures, and/or weakness in the arms or legs. Because a meningioma is a benign growing tumor, most signs and symptoms slowly appear and/or increase over time.

Meningiomas are usually discovered with a head/brain MRI exam, which Sheryl Crow said she had last November. At Suburban Imaging, our neuroradiologists specialize in MRI of the brain and spine and can detect tumors and other abnormalities of the central nervous system.

Below are MRI images that show what meningiomas looks like.

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Finding relief from back pain

As the weather warms up and outdoor activities increase, don’t let back pain stop you from doing the things you enjoy.

Back pain, especially low back pain, is very common. Rest, heat/ice applications, and/or physical therapy can resolve the pain for some people. In other cases, the pain can be so bothersome that every day activities become difficult or impossible to complete.

Depending on the cause of your back pain, there are different kinds of pain management injections that may help you find relief.

  • If your back pain is caused by inflammation, a herniated disc, spinal stenosis or spinal degeneration, an epidural steroid injection may help. Anesthetic and steroids are injected directly into the affected area. Pain relief can last a few weeks or even permanently.
  • If a tight muscle knot is causing your pain, a trigger point injection may be recommended. Anesthetic is injected into the muscle to relax it and ease the pain.

We offer both kinds of injections, along with many others. Visit our website for more information about our pain management procedures. Injections must be ordered by your doctor/healthcare provider and in most cases are covered by insurance.

Here’s to a happy, pain free summer.

–David A. Asinger, MD
Musculoskeletal and Neuroradiologist
Medical Director, Suburban Imaging – Maple Grove

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