The Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital, attached to the Ministry of Health, has implemented in recent months the practice of virtual colonoscopy, a minimally invasive test for those patients with delicate health or in whom it is impossible to carry out a conventional colonoscopy.
This procedure, which tries to detect possible tumors or polypoid formations in the colon, is carried out by computed tomography and virtually recreates detailed images of the inside of the large intestine. This recreation with software allows specialists to observe the three planes of space and make an adequate assessment.
Virtual colonoscopy or colonography is seen as an alternative to the traditional one and is reserved for high-risk patients, in whom it is not recommended to perform the conventional procedure or who cannot be sedated, as well as those in whom some abnormality in the intestine prevents the use of the colonoscope. The implementation of this service at the Molina Orosa avoids the referral and transfer of patients to reference hospitals, as was the case until now.
This diagnostic test does not require sedation, it is about distending the colon and doing a study with the CT scan, face up and face down of the patient's abdomen and pelvis. According to the doctors of the radiology service, it is very effective in assessing polyps from 4 mm and colon cancers. In addition, at the same time, a complete study of the abdomen can be done and the wall of the intestine can be assessed in its internal and external part.
However, they point out that one of the drawbacks of the procedure lies in the impossibility of taking samples of the visualized lesions, so, if significant polyps are found, the patient will have to undergo an intervention for their removal.
The Diagnostic Imaging service of the Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital, directed by Doctor Lourdes Guillén, has a team of professionals immersed in a process of constant training that has allowed the hospital to incorporate this new technique and others such as the use of radiofrequency to treat benign thyroid nodules, which has become established in recent months.
In this year marked by the pandemic, the Hospital highlights the effort made by Radiology for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Between the months of March to November, a total of 653 thoracic CT scans have been performed at the Hospital, compared to the 457 that were performed in the same period of 2019, which represents an increase of 42.88%.
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