Imaging services

Imaging services are commonly used to help doctors diagnose issues of the brain, heart and bones and assist with prenatal care and breast health. We offer a variety of imaging services, including:

• Angiography
• Bone density testing
• Computerized tomography (CT) scans
• Digital and 3D mammography
• Image-guided biopsies
• Interventional radiology
• Lung biopsies
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans—including 3T and cardiac MRIs
• Mammography—including 3D mammograms
• Nuclear medicine
• Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
• Ultrasounds, including maternal-fetal ultrasounds
• X-rays

In addition to medical imaging, our facilities offer a wide range of diagnostic and laboratory tests, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone scans.

We offer advanced procedures using CT scans, including CT angiography (CTA) and CT enterography (CTE). CTA is a heart imaging test performed to identify blocked arteries. This technology can detect calcified plaque in the arteries and help you understand your risk of heart disease or failure.

Similarly, a CTE also uses this technology. However, it combines CT imaging and a contrast material (a material swallowed or injected to help distinguish among organs, tissues, bones and blood vessels) to generate images of the small intestines. The scans can help inform a diagnosis or determine the effectiveness of a treatment.

Endoscopic imaging is an advanced technology most often used to evaluate digestive health. During an endoscopy, your doctor will use a long, thin tube with an attached camera to examine inside your body. This technology allows your medical team to view tissue or the interior of an organ in great detail. Endoscopes can guide surgeries and diagnose symptoms like internal bleeding and inflammation.

Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute utilizes innovative technologies to detect suspicious lung nodules. Our lung nodule coordinator works collaboratively with you and our pulmonary medicine team to improve access to care with early intervention.

What you need to know

Located at St. David's North Austin Medical Center, St. David's South Austin Medical Center and St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute provides seamless lung nodule coordination that includes:

• Continuity of care and ongoing treatments by a lung nodule coordinator
• Detailed discussion of the benefits and risks of clinically appropriate evaluation
• Individualized care and treatment recommendations from our radiology and pulmonary team
• Personalized lung cancer risk evaluation and clinical assessment

For additional information, see the oncology services page.

Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to produce images of body structures. This imaging technique is offered at all St. David’s HealthCare hospitals. This technology is commonly used in maternal-fetal medicine and several other medical specialties, including abdominal, thyroid and women's health scans.