Imaging Services
Imaging services at FirstHealth of the Carolinas rival those of the nation’s top university medical centers in both their scope and their level of sophistication. It is rarely necessary for patient to be referred to any other health care system for diagnostic procedures or treatment.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
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Overview
NBC's Hoda Kotb Shares Breast Cancer Story
True Open MRI
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has the area's only TRUE Open MRI scanner, the Oasis, which is much less confining than other MRI scanners.
View an Oasis patient experience.
Imaging Services Include:
3D Mammography
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Breast tomosynthesis, also called three-dimensional (3D) mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), is an advanced form of breast imaging, or mammography, that uses a low-dose X-ray system and computer reconstructions to create three-dimensional images of the breasts. Breast tomosynthesis aids in the early detection and diagnosis of breast disease and is currently available at Moore Regional Hospital and FirstHealth Lee Campus. Data suggests that breast tomosynthesis finds 41% more invasive cancers than conventional mammograms alone.
Mammography
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Mammography is a specific type of imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is one of the most important tools doctors have to help them diagnose, evaluate and follow women who’ve had breast cancer.
Mammograms don’t prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible.
Digital mammography is an advance in mammography where the X-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert X-rays into electrical signals. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breast that can be seen on a high-resolution computer monitor and transmitted and stored just like computer files. These images appear on the technologist’s monitor in a matter of seconds.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas uses iCAD's ProFound AI®, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technology to aid in breast cancer detection. ProFound AI is the first FDA cleared AI platform designed for use with 3D mammography to aid in breast cancer detection. 3D mammography is available at all FirstHealth locations.
To learn more about digital mammography at FirstHealth, click here.
Locations:
Moore Regional Hospital click here for directions
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and one Saturday per month and two evenings per month.
Lee Campus click here for directions
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond click here for directions
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke click here for directions
Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and every other Saturday 9 a.m.-noon
Montgomery Memorial Hospital click here for directions
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays as needed
Are you a Moore, Richmond or Montgomery county resident at least 40 years of age? Has it been at least 12 months since your last screening? Are you uninsured and need assistance, if so call (888) 534-5333, press 2 to learn more about Komen Screening Program.
CT (Computed Tomography)
A CT (Computed tomography or sometimes called CAT scan) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. A CT scan combines special X-ray equipment with computers to produce several images (or pictures) of the inside of the body.
CT scans of internal organs, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels provide greater clarity and reveal more details than regular X-rays. Because it takes so many pictures so quickly, the scanner can be used to study the beating heart and the flow of blood through major arteries.
FirstHealth was one of the first in the state of North Carolina to install a CT scanner that simultaneously produces 64 cross-section images that can be viewed from any angle.
FirstHealth offers GE’s Lightspeed™ VCT with ASiR.™* The sophisticated medical technology that helps doctors make an accurate diagnosis that now offers your physician the opportunity to lower radiation dose up to 80 percent.
CT's hours of operation are 24 hours per day at all hospitals.
CT's hours of operation at FirstHealth Lee Campus are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
MRI
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
Using a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer, MRI produces detailed, three-dimensional pictures of organs and tissues. These detailed images allow physicians to better evaluate various parts of the body and certain diseases that may not be assessed adequately with other imaging methods such as X-ray, ultrasound or CT.
An Open MRI can reduce the discomfort and anxiety sometimes experienced with a traditional MRI tube. To accomodate these patients FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has the area's only TRUE Open MRI.
Children under the age of 10 often require sedation during an MRI. FirstHealth offers this service at Richmond Memorial for pediatric patients. The sedation is administered through a small IV placed in the child's hand before he/she enters the exam room. It will remain in place until the exam is completed.
The child may feel a pinch when the IV needle is first inserted, but should not notice pain after that. Sedation is given one hour before the exam is performed and is monitored by an anesthesiologist.
MRI's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on-call Monday through Friday, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The Open MRI's hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. based on demand.
MRI's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. based on demand.
MRI's hours of operation at MRH-Hoke are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and every other Saturday.
MRI's hours of operation at Montgomery Memorial Hospital are Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MRI's hours of operation at FirsHealth Lee Campus are Mondays, Tuesdays & three Wednesdays out of the month 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MRI's hours of operation at FirstHealth Imaging - Southern Pines are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Breast MRI
Breast MRI offers valuable information about many breast conditions that cannot be obtained by other imaging procedures, such as mammography or ultrasound. Breast MRI is not a replacement for mammography or ultrasound imaging but rather a supplemental tool for detecting and staging breast cancer and other breast abnormalities.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Ultrasound is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. It has a wide range of uses including evaluating fetuses, assessing problems involving many of the body’s internal organs and measuring blood flow in the carotid arteries.
Ultrasound's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital are Saturday through Thursday, 24 hours per day, Friday until 11 p.m. and on-call until 8 a.m.
Ultrasound's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on-call all other hours.
Ultrasound's hours of operation at MRH-Hoke are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and every other Saturday. Ultrasound at MRH-Hoke is on-call 24 hours per day.
Ultrasound's hours of operation at Montgomery Memorial Hospital are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ultrasound at MMH is on-call Monday through Friday 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ultrasound's hours of operation at FirstHealth Lee Campus are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
X-ray
An X-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body.
With digital radiography, X-ray technologists don’t have to wait for film to be processed and they don’t have to take a second X-ray if the first one is a little too dark or light. Instead of being printed on film, the image instantly appears on a computer screen and can be manipulated to improve contrast and clarity.
Digital radiography is used most often for taking chest X-rays, but it can be used to X-ray any part of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
X-ray's hours of operation are 24 hours per day.
The FirstHealth Raeford Center on Teal Drive offers routine X-ray Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m. to noon. Appointments are not necessary.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Bone Densitometry
Bone densitometry, also called bone density scanning, is an enhanced form of X-ray technology that is used to measure bone loss. The test painlessly measures bone mineral density while the patient lies comfortably still on a padded table. The unit scans two or more areas, usually the fracture-prone hip and lower spine.
Bone densitometry is most often used to diagnose osteoporosis, a condition that often affects women after menopause but may also be found in men. Osteoporosis involves a gradual loss of calcium, as well as structural changes, causing the bones to become thinner, more fragile and more likely to break. The entire process takes only minutes to complete, depending on the number of sites scanned.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine is a part of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities within the body.
In rare cases where certain types of cancer do not respond to chemotherapy alone, physicians may use a combination of chemotherapy and internal radiation therapy. The delivery of the chemical and radioactive agents to the tumor is guided by nuclear medicine imaging.
The patient is injected with a low dose of radioactive material that has been chemically tagged to collect in a particular organ. A special camera that detects gamma rays provides images to confirm that the radioactive material is going to the target site. Then a higher energy radioactive material combined with a powerful chemotherapy drug is injected to attack the cancer.
The latest in diagnostic imaging technology, PET (positron emission tomography) scans are a type of nuclear medicine imaging. This test produces images that show activity in body tissues. A substance that gives off a tiny amount of radiation is put into your body. This substance goes to the part of you body that is most active. A machine can then detect where that substance is.
Nuclear Medicine's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Nuclear Medicine for Cardiac's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. until finished and Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Nuclear Medicine's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Nuclear Medicine's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke are Monday through Friday as scheduled.
Nuclear Medicine's hours of operation at Montgomery Memorial Hospital are every other Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
PET Scan
PET scans are especially useful in diagnosing cancer. If cancer is suspected, PET scans can help confirm or rule out that diagnosis, allowing some patients to avoid biopsies or other invasive procedures.
For patients who have had surgery or radiation therapy for cancer, PET scans can often tell doctors to what extent the treatment has been successful.
PET imaging is used to look for cancer in the lungs and other organs, and it can help diagnose heart and Alzheimer’s disease.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Angiography
Angiography produces X-ray pictures of the inside of blood vessels. When blood vessels are blocked, damaged or abnormal in any way, chest pain, heart attack, stroke or other problems may occur. The images from angiography help your physician determine both the source of the problem and the extent of damage to the parts of the blood vessels being examined.
To see inside the blood vessels, a catheter is passed through an artery to the area being studied, and then contrast material is injected to highlight the vessels while the X-rays are taken. The test can show the extent and severity of atherosclerosis in the coronary and carotid arteries, as well as diseased vessels in the brain, kidneys, legs and other parts of the body.
CT angiography (CTA) and MR angiography (MRA) may be used in place of diagnostic angiography to minimize patient discomfort. These scans take only a few minutes and give doctors detailed information on abnormalities in arteries that supply blood to the brain, lungs, kidneys, intestines and legs.
CTA may also be used to evaluate coronary artery disease, the effects of heart attack or to assess the severity of a stroke.
Angiography's hours of operation at Moore Regional Hospital are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on-call after 5 p.m. and 24 hours Saturday and Sunday.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiology offers an alternative to the surgical treatment of many conditions and, in some cases, can eliminate the need for hospitalization.
Interventional radiologists are involved in the treatment of the patient as well as the diagnosis of disease. They treat a wide range of conditions “inside the body” from “outside the body” with small instruments or tools, such as catheters or wires and various X-ray and imaging techniques such as CT, MRI and ultrasound.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Interventional Angiography
If an angiogram shows a dangerous build-up of plaque (atherosclerosis) inside an artery, angioplasty procedure may be performed.
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that helps to improve blood flow in the body’s arteries and veins.
Angioplasty typically involves inserting a tiny balloon into the artery through a catheter. When the balloon reaches the site of disease, it is inflated, pushing the obstruction out of the way and opening the artery. The balloon is then deflated and removed.
During angioplasty, a small wire mesh tube called a stent may be permanently placed in the newly opened artery or vein to help it remain open. There are two types of stents: bare stents (wire mesh) and covered stents (also commonly called stent grafts).
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty may be used for patients with compression fractures in the spine. The procedure offers the potential to restore bone height in the vertebra and reverse deformity of the spine.
The patient undergoing kyphoplasty lies face down allowing the physician to advance a thin tube into the fractured vertebra from an incision in the back.
This provides a pathway so the physician can insert a special balloon into the interior of the vertebra. Once the balloon is inflated it pushes apart the caps, or end plates, of the fractured vertebra, restoring the vertebra to its original shape as much as possible. The balloon is then deflated and removed, leaving a cavity that the physician fills with bone cement.
Kyphoplasty is successful in restoring bone height and correcting deformity when performed on recent compression fractures, those caught within two to three months.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Bone Biopsy
Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration are procedures to collect and examine bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside larger bones. Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration can show whether bone marrow is healthy and making normal amounts of blood cells.
Doctors use bone marrow biopsy and aspiration to diagnose and monitor blood and marrow diseases, including some cancers.
Bone marrow has a fluid portion and a more solid portion. In bone marrow aspiration, the doctor uses a needle to withdraw a sample of the liquid. In a bone marrow biopsy, a larger needle is used to take a sample of the solid part.
Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration are often done at the same time often referred to as a bone marrow exam.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Image Guided Biopsy
Image-guided biopsy (or needle biopsy) is a medical test performed by interventional radiologists to identify the cause of a lump or mass or other abnormal condition in the body.
During the procedure, the doctor inserts a small needle, guided by X-ray or other imaging technique, into the abnormal area. A tissue sample is removed and given to a pathologist who looks at it under a microscope to determine what the abnormality is – for example, cancer, a noncancerous tumor, infection or scar.
Many lives can be saved when women have routine mammograms – an X-ray examination of the breast that can detect breast cancer in its earliest and most curable stages. Most abnormalities seen on mammograms are not cancer. Often, the only way to make a diagnosis is to perform a biopsy in which a tissue sample is removed from the breast for analysis – a procedure that in the past required surgery. With Image-guided biopsy (also known as stereotactic breast biopsy) X-ray imaging is used to guide a needle to the lump or mass in order to remove small tissue samples for analysis.
Image-guided biopsies are also performed using CT, angiography and ultrasound to collect tissue from many different parts of the body.
Today many conditions that once required surgery can be treated non-surgically by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Epidural Steroid Injection
An epidural steroid injection is delivered into the epidural space of the spine to provide temporary or prolonged relief from pain or inflammation. The epidural space is located outside the dural membrane. Steroids, anesthetics and anti-inflammatory medications are typically delivered in an epidural injection.
The injection may reduce pain and swelling in and around the spinal nerve roots, as well as around damaged nerves which in time may heal.
Imaging guidance, such as fluoroscopy may be used to help the doctor place the needle in exactly the right location so the patient can receive maximum benefit from the injection.
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
Nephrostomy
A nephrostomy is a procedure in which a catheter (tube) is inserted through the skin and into the kidney to drain it of urine. Urine drains into a bag outside the body.
When urine is produced in the kidney it drains downwards through a tube called the ureter and is stored in the bladder until urination occurs. When this tube is blocked, urine backs up into the kidney. Kidney damage can occur because of this backflow of urine. A nephrostomy is placed so that the urine may drain, preventing further damage to the kidney.
Nephrostomy may be performed:
- when the ureter is blocked by a kidney stone
- when the ureter is blocked by a tumor
- when there is a hole in the ureter or bladder and urine is leaking into the body
- as a diagnostic procedure to assess kidney anatomy
- as a diagnostic procedure to assess kidney function
To schedule an appointment, call (866) 415-2778 toll-free.
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