Medical Imaging Services

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is a fast and simple procedure that evaluates and helps manage osteoporosis. We offer BMD at SCS, NFS, and WS, with patients being offered an appointment and the Niagara Health site with the shortest wait time. A scan is taken of both the patient’s hip and lower spine using a small x-ray source. With input from our specialty trained Medical Radiation Technologist, a computer analyzes the strength (density) of the bone(s) from the images presented. Your doctor is then provided with a baseline and subsequent measures of bone health. Prepare for your appointment.

Niagara Health has a total of five CT scanners available for medical imaging, located at the Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland hospitals. To facilitate timely access, you will be offered an appointment at the Niagara Health hospital with the shortest wait time. The CT scanners are in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support emergency patients, in-patients and out-patients.

At your CT scan appointment, you will lie on a table and be moved into the middle of the scanner. The x-ray tube will rotate around you 360 degrees to take a series of x-ray images to produce a detailed picture of a part of your body, including bones, muscles, organs and blood vessels. A CT scan is able to reconstruct images from different angles (forward and side views). Viewing the body from different perspectives is very beneficial for radiologists when reviewing the images. Prepare for your CT appointment.

Niagara Health offers x-ray (general radiography) across all five sites for in-patients and out-patients. Our dedicated team of technologists also provide timely 24-hour support to our Emergency Departments. We also accept walk-in x-rays for patients with a signed requisition from a physician or nurse practitioner.

Please note that there may be increased wait times for walk-in x-rays during peak times to accommodate in-patient needs.

Interventional Radiology is a sub-specialty of radiology that uses a combination of imaging equipment for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Interventional radiology diagnoses and treats patients without surgery.

Interventional radiologists are physicians who are specially trained in reading x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs and other imaging devices to guide tiny medical instruments (i.e. catheters and through blood vessels or skin). Many conditions that previously required surgery can now be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, pain and recovery time compared to open surgery.

At Niagara Health, we have a highly skilled team of interventional radiologists, registered nurses, medical radiation technologists and registered sonographers that work collaboratively to provide safe, quality care.

To prepare for your appointment, your physician and a member of our interventional radiology team will contact you with specific instructions to prepare for your procedure.

Niagara Health currently has three MRI scanners, located at our Niagara Falls and St. Catharines hospitals. To facilitate timely access, you will be offered an appointment at the Niagara Health site with the shortest wait time. MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in your body in order to diagnose and monitor diseases and injuries.

MRI machines look like a tunnel with two open ends. During an MRI, you will lie on an examination table that will slide into the machine, either head first or feet first, depending on what body part is being examined. The MRI machine sends radio waves to a precise location in your body. The MRI images take longer to produce than other imaging methods such as x-ray, CT scan or ultrasound. Prepare for your MRI appointment.

Niagara Health offers nuclear medicine services at the Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland hospitals. Nuclear medicine is a diagnostic service that uses very small amounts of radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease.

Our highly specialized team of medical radiation technologists safely administer radiopharmaceuticals that travel to specific organs, bones, or tissues. The radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras (gamma cameras). Nuclear medicine scans provide unique information about both the structure and the function of major organ systems within the body. The sensitivity of these studies means that the diagnosis can be made at an earlier stage in the progression of the disease. Therapeutic nuclear medicine is also performed in our department. The amount of radiation from a nuclear medicine procedure is very low. Prepare for your nuclear medicine appointment and review post-procedure instructions.

Ontario Breast Screening Program and Breast Imaging

Niagara Health offers ultrasound services at all five sites. An ultrasound is an imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves using a transducer to produce images of structures within your body. There is no use of ionizing radiation during an ultrasound procedure.

We provide a wide range of procedures including obstetric and gynecological studies, abdominal and pelvic assessments, and vascular, musculoskeletal, breast and soft tissue evaluations. All ultrasound examinations are scheduled appointments and a doctor's referral is required. Patients should bring their requisition with them. Staff members are available 24 hours a day for emergency cases. Prepare for your ultrasound appointment.