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01/31/2006

Sioux Valley Acquires Revolutionary CT Imaging Technology

Sioux Valley Hospital USD Medical Center announced today that it has acquired a new, state-of-the-art, CT imaging system from GE Healthcare.

Sioux Valley Hospital USD Medical Center announced today that it has acquired a new, state-of-the-art, CT imaging system from GE Healthcare. The LightSpeed® VCT is the world’s first Volume Computed Tomography (VCT) system. Sioux Valley now offers an innovative way for its physicians to obtain the information they need to rapidly diagnose disease and life-threatening illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and chest pain.

When the new LightSpeed VCT is fully operational in mid-February, Sioux Valley physicians will be able to capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, an organ in one second, and perform whole body trauma in 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 and pediatric patients.

“Volume CT is patient friendly,” says Becky Nelson, President of Sioux Valley Hospital USD Medical Center. “Fast scans can help reduce patient stress and anxiety, and some of the volume CT procedures can be done in only one simple exam.”

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 the physicians at Sioux Valley to analyze. From these images, physicians can view such things as blockages in the coronary arteries, as well as the motion and pumping action of a patient’s heart. The LightSpeed VCT will be in Trauma 5 where it will be easily accessible for patients and physicians in critical and emergency situations.

“We’re breaking barriers in speed and accuracy of patient exams and are now able to offer new and enhanced diagnostic procedures thanks to our new LightSpeed VCT,” stated Nelson. “The technology is greatly benefiting both the physicians and patients of our region. We’re excited to be the first to offer this medical technology in the area.”

Sioux Valleywill be able to offer the following innovative procedures to be performed on their new LightSpeed VCT:

  • 5-Beat Cardiac™ - The physician’s at Sioux Valley Hospital can 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.

  • Triple RuleOut™ - Three primary causes of mortality in patients with chest pain are aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism and coronary artery disease. The physician’s at Sioux Valley Hospital now have a tool to help them rule out (or in) these three individual causes of patient’s chest pain through a single quick scan.
  • Stroke Work-Up - Once a stroke occurs, it is commonly believed that treatment must be delivered within an hour or less to ensure the best outcome for the patient. The LightSpeed VCT offers Sioux Valley 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 to undergo.


    • For more information, contact Stacy Jones in the Sioux Valley Marketing Department at 605-328-7056.