Springfield Hospital introduces first-in-Vermont Nuclear Medicine Program

Patients and physicians can experience a new level of diagnostic imaging at Springfield Hospital in its newly reopened Nuclear Medicine program, which debuted in early March. A breakthrough in nuclear medicine technology enables high diagnostic accuracy using low-dose radiation.

“It has been over two years since we offered this service, and we are pleased to be the first facility in Vermont and only the fifth facility in New England to make the Symbia Pro.specta X3 nuclear medicine equipment available,” said Hayley Druschel, director of Diagnostic Imaging.

The Symbia Pro.specta X3 makes it possible for Springfield Hospital to extend a wide range of advanced imaging examinations to patients. The system is designed with specialized tools optimized for oncology, cardiology, neurology and other medical fields.

“Using this new equipment, patients can expect an enhanced imaging experience due to the high sensitivity and resolution detector, which produces detailed images of the body. The clarity of the images is incredible and the speed at which they can be generated is impressive,” said Druschel.

Common procedures include:

• Myocardial perfusion imaging to determine whether the patient has narrowings or blockages of the coronary arteries. This is a noninvasive way to determine whether catheterization is necessary.
• Bone scans to examine areas of the bone trying to heal or repair themselves (e.g., if the patient has osteomyelitis, replacement loosening or metastatic disease)
• Hepatobiliary imaging to determine how well the patient’s gallbladder is filling and/or emptying
• Gastric emptying scans to determine how well the patient’s stomach is emptying
• Thyroid and parathyroid imaging, which can be used to determine the structure and function of glands
• Renal imaging to determine kidney function
• Lymphoscintigraphy scans to allow for localization of lymph nodes into which cancer cells may have spread
• Gastrointestinal bleeding scans to help determine whether and where a patient is actively bleeding
• Lung scans to diagnose pulmonary embolism and/or to evaluate lung disease

All images are read by Dartmouth Health radiologists, as happens for all imaging at Springfield Hospital. However, patients can now benefit from the added convenience of local access to this high-quality diagnostic imaging technology.

Medical providers are invited to call 802-885-7302 for consultation about the equipment capabilities. The scheduling process is similar to ordering other CT or MRI exams, with the necessary information faxed to Springfield Hospital Diagnostic Imaging at 802-885-7376.