Wesley Medical Center currently operates the LightSpeed® VCT, which is the world’s first volume computed tomography (VCT) imaging system. 

This state-of-the-art system offers an innovative way for physicians to obtain the information they need to diagnose diseases and life-threatening illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and chest pain. 

With this technology Wesley physicians are able to capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, an organ in one second, and perform whole body trauma in just ten seconds, more than twice as fast as conventional multi-slice CT scanners.  This speed is especially helpful in shortening breath holds for geriatric patients, patients who are on ventilators or other breathing devices and pediatric patients.

“Our new volume CT system allows our physicians to perform new and enhanced procedures and obtain the information they need to diagnose patients who are suffering from chest pain or stroke,” said Jim Dagg, director of diagnostic services at Wesley.  “Volume CT is patient friendly.  Fast scans can help reduce patient stress and anxiety, and some of the volume CT procedures can be done in only one simple exam.”

The following procedures can be performed on the Lightspeed® VCT:

• 5-Beat Cardiac™  - physicians capture images of the whole heart and coronary arteries in just five heartbeats, providing clearer images of cardiovascular anatomy and a shorter breath hold for sick and elderly patients.
• Chest Pain Education - three primary causes of mortality in patients with chest pain are aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism and coronary artery disease.  With this technology, physicians now have a tool to help them rule these causes out through one quick scan.
• Stroke Work-Up – the best outcomes for stroke patients occur when the patient is given treatment within one hour or less of the incident. The LightSpeed VCT provides the speed and resolution required for rapid imaging of blood vessels in the brain. This enables physicians to make a quick diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment while reducing the number of exams a patient may need. 

In a single rotation, the LightSpeed VCT creates 64 high-resolution anatomical images as thin as a credit card.  These images are combined to form a three-dimensional view of the patient’s anatomy for a physician to analyze.  From these images, a physician can view blockages in the coronary arteries, as well as the motion and pumping action of a patient’s heart.

"We are providing our patients with the most advanced technology in medical imaging, and we are now able to offer new and enhanced diagnostic procedures thanks to our new LightSpeed VCT,” says Dr. Dallas Sorrell, a radiologist with Comprehensive Radiology Group.  “The technology is greatly benefiting both the physicians and patients of south Mississippi and Louisiana.”