Big enough to matter; small enough to care

29 April 2020 / Acupuncture, General

Nobody likes to think of their pet ill or in need of investigations, but should this happen, here at NWVS in Runcorn. Cheshire, you can be comforted in the knowledge that they will receive the necessary and relevant imaging studies. Often referred to as ‘scans’ we have a variety of different imaging modalities which produce scans, such as MRICT, ultrasound and x ray.

These studies will be carried out in a timely fashion, delivered with high quality care and assessed in detail.  This service is delivered by a committed and conscientious diagnostic imaging team.  The team draws it experience from a background of veterinary nurses, NHS-trained radiographers and is headed up by a veterinary radiologist with over 15 years experience in the field of radiology.  In addition to our on-site team we have the added support and advice on image interpretation provided by some of Europe’s experts within the Pets at Home Specialist division, and beyond.   Each patient is unique and can offer unique challenges.

We are well equipped with modern technologies – a newly installed (2016) Toshiba Aquilion Lightning 16-row helical CT scanner, a newly commissioned (2016) Siemens CIOS connect fluoroscopy unit, an Esaote Veterinary Mylab Eight eXP  ultrasound machine(2017) – the first of only a handful currently instated in the UK , a computed radiography suite and a Hitachi MRI scanner.

The combination of skill in acquiring good quality images together with the experience of interpretation in the clinical context means we can make swift decisions for the most appropriate care pathway  for each individual patient.  CT-assisted and ultrasound-guided biopsy techniques are regularly performed for enhanced diagnostic yield.  Where applicable, this accommodates a minimally-invasive, low-morbidity and cost-effective route to securing expeditious diagnoses.  Our collective goal, across the hospital specialties, is to inform and initiate a tailored treatment plan for the animals entrusted to our care, and their owners.

The team shares an on-call rota to facilitate the provision of advanced imaging to patients referred as emergencies, when the clinical need warrants it, as determined by the specialist lead clinician.  We like to think we are literally and metaphorically the hub of the hospital, and we are motivated every day, to do the best job we can.

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