New 64-Slice CT Unit at our Patchogue location - Offering Two New Screening Exams

We are excited about our new CT scanner recently installed at our Patchogue location! In addition to the numerous types of CT studies we perform, this new unit can now offer our patients Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring and Low-Dose CT Lung Screening.

The Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring exam can help detetmine the presence of calcified plaque in a patient's coronary arteries. This may be an additional risk factor in stratifying a patient's risk of underlying heart disease and risk of an adverse event, including a heart attack.

Risk factors include:

• Men over 45

• Women over 55

• Smoker or second hand exposure

• High Cholesterol or high blood pressure 

• Family history of artery disease 

• Sedentary or highstress lifestyle

• Obesity or Diabetes

A Low-Dose CT Lung Screening is a quick, painless screening tool that uses low doses of radiation, comparable to a mammogram, to make detailed images of your lungs to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages. The U.S. centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved low-dose CT lung screening for asymptomatic patients meeting the following criteria:

• Are 55 to 77 years old 

• Have a smoking history of at least 30 pack years (one pack per day for 30 years, 2 packs per day for 15 years, etc.)

• Are either current smokers or have quit within the last 15 years

With this information, your doctor will be able to recommend the appropriate treatment, including lifestyle changes, medication and/or additional testing. Talk to your physician to see if one of these exams is right for you. 

Learn more about our Patchogue location here