The on-site CT (computer tomography) scanner, also sometimes referred to as a CAT scanner, plays a critical diagnostics role at SASH, as well as for Surgeons to plan their surgeries. It is used by our Diagnostic Imaging Specialists and radiographer to provide diagnostic support to other departments such as Surgery, Internal Medicine, and the Animal Cancer Centre.
An CT is basically an X-ray machine that can take multiple images (as slices), which can then be pieced together by computer software. This allows the 3D visualisation of inside the body, so that organs and tissues are not superimposed on top of each other, as they would be with a flat 2D X-ray. Because of this, it can be used to help visualise a range of issues such as:
- Trauma or injury
- Various cancers & tumours and staging
- Vascular disease
- Planning and guiding other procedures
SASH CT Scanners
SASH has a CT scanner at each of its hospitals, all of which are the same as you would find in a human hospital. One example includes the GE Revolution EVO, a high tech machine which is able to take 128 slices of images for every rotation the machine makes, which helps to reduce the amount of time a patent needs to spend under sedation in the machine, while also providing high quality imaging. Imaging quality is essential for seeing important structures in detail, such as that needed for complex surgeries.
