Getting a second opinion is something that all of us are used to doing every day in our normal activities of life.  It is not unusual to get two or three bids from a contractor before having them do work on your house or a mechanic before you choose one to fix your car.  So...Read More

Screening mammograms are a very important part of breast cancer diagnosis and prevention as they can detect an abnormality before it becomes cancer, find an additional focus of cancer, and ultimately lead to a diagnosis that will direct treatment. Positive findings on a screening breast exam will lead to additional imaging with a diagnostic mammogram...Read More

Back pain, especially reoccurring pain, can become incapacitating. In fact, 90% of patients will have an improvement in their back pain within 6 weeks without having surgery. However, it is important to know if you have symptoms including pain radiating below your knee or elbow, fever associated with back pain, numbness in your extremities, or...Read More

When your doctor orders your radiology exam to be performed with intravenous contrast it will usually add to the ability of the radiologist to make your diagnosis from a CT scan. The agent injected intravenously contains iodine which allows for better visualization of blood vessels, some soft tissues, your internal organs, and many disease states...Read More

Although an x ray is the best initial way to screen for a fracture of a bone, it is not perfect and has its limitations.  This is because that when a fracture occurs, we only see it on x ray if the involved broken bones displace a small amount allowing the fracture to be seen....Read More

Deciding whether to get an MRI or a CT can be a challenging decision for patients and doctors alike.  They are not equivalent imaging methods, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Things to consider include time to complete the exam, the part of the body being imaged, resolution, radiation risk, and the level...Read More

It is only natural that you may feel some confusion when you have been given a new medical diagnosis. If you are given more than one treatment option, then it can be hard to know if you are making the right decision. You may also have concerns about whether your diagnosis is correct. If any...Read More

Your doctor may have been with you for years and to you, he may be the smartest person you know. Over the years you have trusted his diagnosis and you may not like to think that he doesn’t know everything. There will be times where you feel that his medical opinion may not be on...Read More

More than a third of Americans start with an Internet search to answer medical questions, but only half of those reported that what they found led them to seek help from a medical professional, according to a Pew Research Center study. The study found that among the 3,000 American adults surveyed, only 41 percent of those...Read More

Though most people will make at least one major medical decision in their life, nearly 70% of Americans don’t seek additional information or opinions before choosing a treatment, according to a poll conducted by the Harvard Health Letter editors. But asking another doctor what they think could save you time, money and, in rare cases,...Read More