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Southern Maryland Hospital Center Introduces Upgrade to Magnetic Resonance Angiography Technology
CLINTON, MD – Southern Maryland Hospital Center (SMHC) has completed a major upgrade in its diagnostic imaging capabilities: in November, SMHC began using Inhance Non-Contrast Enhanced technology for Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). The Inhance technology enables SMHC’s MRI department to produce clear and detailed pictures of blood vessels inside the body without using contrast material.
MRA uses a magnetic field and radio wave pulses to produce pictures of the body’s blood vessels and information about blood flow. Previously, it was often necessary to inject contrast material into the patient’s bloodstream in order to get a detailed image. One of the most common uses of MRA is to examine blood flow leading to the kidneys, since patients who have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease often have decreased kidney function. However, a traditional contrast MRA is not ideal for these patients because a patient with poor kidney function may have more trouble filtering the contrast material out of the blood.
With the advent of Inhance technology, developed by GE, physicians can see blood vessels in an MRA without needing to have the patient injected with contrast material. Inhance is able to de-emphasize the surrounding tissue and highlight the blood vessels as contrast would. “The Inhance software takes the place of the contrast material, which is a huge step forward,” said SMHC Director of MRI Charles Doleman. “It’s state-of-the-art technology, and we’re getting excellent pictures without injecting contrast. In some cases, we’re getting better pictures with Inhance than we would have with contrast.”
Founded in 1977, Southern Maryland Hospital Center is a 358-bed full service hospital serving the Washington, D.C., metro and Southern Maryland areas. Additionally, SMHC operates a state-of-the-art twenty-four bed subacute unit. Throughout SMHC’s history, it has remained a community leader, a strong supporter of health care education, and a dedicated advocate for quality health care services.
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