Diagnostic

Our fully digital diagnostic suite ensures that images can be transmitted immediately to Consultants anywhere in the world. The Bridgewater Hospital has a wide range of state-of-the-art diagnostic radiology equipment to support your Consultant in making an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

Our facility is set up to treat a wide range of needs, although we specialise in sports injuries. More specifically, a number of our Radiologists specialise in reporting Musculo-Skeletal injuries, assessing the needs of elite athletes from a wide range of sports clubs including football, rugby, cricket, boxing, cycling, athletics and contact sports. We are currently preparing a number of athletes to compete in the 2012 Olympics.

"The Bridgewater Hospital have provided a highly confidential, professional, fast service and excellent support when dealing with the fast paced demands of a Premier League Football Club. Very Professional, friendly and helpful staff"
Dr Jamie Butler
Club Doctor
Manchester City Football Club

X-ray tests

A simple X-ray image can be extremely informative to demonstrate, for example, whether or not a bone is broken. In addition, special X-ray techniques can be used to investigate other problems involving the soft tissues of the body. By injecting special dye into the arteries or veins, the blood vessels can be made visible. In addition, the oesophagus and stomach can be examined by swallowing special dye. Similar dye can also be used to examine the bowel.

Radiation may cause damage to an unborn child, and so if you suspect that you may be pregnant it is vital that you inform the medical staff before the X-ray is taken.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is often the first line of investigation in diagnostics as it is quick and easy to carry out.

High frequency sound waves are emitted from a hand-held device pressed against the area to be scanned, often using some jelly to improve the contact. The sound waves 'bounce' back when they reach an organ, and this information is processed by the computer to produce an image of the area being scanned.

This technique allows the medical staff to not only see organs, but also movement such as the heart of a baby in the womb or the valves inside of an adult heart.

For more information on diagnostic services available to expectant mothers, visit our Pregnancy Scans & Antenatal Care section.

MRI Scan

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a fairly new technique and uses magnetic and radio waves, meaning that there is no exposure to X-rays or other potentially harmful forms of radiation.

The patient lies inside a large, cylinder-shaped magnet, and radio waves thousands of times stronger than the magnetic field of the earth are sent through the body. The resulting signals that are sent back to the scanner are converted into pictures based on their location and strength.

An MRI scan is able to provide clear pictures of parts of the body that are surrounded by bone, such as the brain and spinal cord.

The MRI scan can also show both the heart and the large blood vessels in the surrounding tissue. This makes it possible to detect heart defects that may have been existed since birth, as well as changes in the thickness of the muscles around the heart following a heart attack. This method can also be used to examine the joints, spine and sometimes the soft parts of the body such as the liver, kidneys and spleen.

Since you are exposed to a powerful magnetic field during the MRI scan, it is important not to wear jewellery or other metal objects.

It is also important to inform the medical staff if you use electrical appliances, such as a hearing aid or pacemaker, or have any metal in your body, such as surgical clips. Orthopaedic metalware such as artificial hips or bone screws are not usually a problem.