State Of The Art Radiology Treatment At BUPA Hospital Cardiff

A range of new procedures, using state-of-the art equipment and technology in a modernised environment are being offered to radiology patients as a result of a £400,000 refit of the fluoroscopy facility at BUPA Hospital Cardiff.

Fluoroscopy captures real-time images and live footage using an x-ray tube and an image intensifier to gain the best view of the part of the patient being examined. The new suite, where these procedures are carried out, is comprised of a preparation room, examination room, x-ray room and processing area. It has been redesigned and refitted with the latest equipment to improve the work area for radiographers and radiologists, as well as the patient experience. Thanks to the innovative C shape of the equipment, it can be moved around the patient in multiple planes reducing the need to move the individual. This makes the experience more comfortable for the patient but also enables improved imaging of the area under examination.

Rachel Steyn, Imaging Services Manager, said: "We are delighted to be able to provide our patients with the benefits offered by this state of the art fluoroscopy system. The quality of our examinations will improve dramatically and we are now able to offer a much wider range of services to our patients and doctors.

"In addition, this system offers us such a high degree of physical flexibility that it is much more comfortable for the patient - they lie still whilst we move around them! This flexibility also enhances our ability to view the area of the patient under examination, thereby increasing our diagnostic capabilities."

As well as enhancing the quality of gastrointestinal, urological and gynaecological diagnostic examinations already carried out, the redesigned unit can now offer procedures such as facet joint injections and or nerve root blocks. These new therapeutic procedures can deliver pain relief to the patient by anaesthetising the affected area and delivering steroids for longer-term pain relief.

Facet joint injections involve injecting the joints in the vertebra in the neck or back. The joints are the most common cause of pain for those with degenerative spines. Nerve root blocks are suitable for patients with sciatica or radiculopathy (pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in arms or legs), often caused by the compression of a nerve root by a prolapsed disc.