Woman to Woman
Our Radiology group has four female radiologists, more than any other radiology group in Ventura County. These physicians specialize in women's issues, such as Mammography, Ultrasound, Breast Biopsy, and Breast MRI.
Dr. Ruth Polan
We empathize with our patients and understand that a woman-to-woman relationship is important. While all of our radiologists are available for personal consultation, our female radiologists are highly sensitive to women's issues and frequently consult with patients and doctors regarding both screening and diagnostic testing and results.
Osteoporosis
Bone Density Checkup
Definition: Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, especially of the hip, spine and wrist, although any bone can be affected.
Osteoporosis is often called a "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture.
Risk Factors: Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis and fractures are called "risk factors." These risk factors include:
Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years following menopause, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis.
How we help: Thousand Oaks Radiology offers specialized tests called bone mineral density (BMD) tests can measure bone density in various sites of the body. A BMD test can:
- Detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs
- Predict chances of fracturing in the future
- Determine rate of bone loss and/or monitor the effects of treatment if a DXA BMD test is conducted at intervals of one year or more
DEXA is the traditional equipment to measure bone density, but can give skewed results. Our radiologists read all of the DEXA exams produced at the Hospital. However, our radiologists prefer the QCT test, offered at both the Conejo MRI / CT and Camarillo-Los Robles Imaging Center. This higher quality image, produces more accurate results.
Digital Mammography
Best Picture Quality
DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY: Thousand Oaks Radiology is proud to offer Full-field Digital Mammography to our patients. Digital Imaging is THE MOST advanced technology and far superior to traditional "plain film." Plain film lacks the clarity that can be captured with the higher resolution (number of pixels) of Digital Imagery. Plain film must also be stored and retreived, which can be a challenge, depending on how many and how old the prior exams were.
Thousand Oaks Radiology recognizes the value of digital mammorgraphy as part of good patient care. Our Digital Mammography equipment is state-of-the-art.
Regular Mammography screening is recommended annually. Early breast cancer detection dramatically decreases the need for Mastectomy. Digital imaging is invaluable to the radiologists.
Using Full-Field Digital Mammography, our Radiologists can easily compare prior/current exams, for more accurate asessments. In fact, the radiologist can manipulate the digital image for better viewing.
BEWARE!: Because of equipment costs, some Medical Imaging facilities "digitize" their plain film, and claim that they have "digital" mammography. In essence, this is taking a traditional "plain film" and running it through a computer scanner. Because of this, there is a loss of quality - scanned films are NOT diagnostic quality as recognized by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). While this may be acceptable for a "backup" copy, it cannot replace the original film.
No matter the facility when scheduling your appointment, please make sure you ask if the mammography is "digital" or "digitized."
There is a BIG difference.
Thousand Oaks Radiology has offered fully digital mammography since 2002.
