How does the procedure work?
The Office TUNA® procedure is a nonsurgical treatment. You will be given a mild sedative to take orally, and local anesthesia is delivered to the prostate via a small catheter inserted into the urethra. Your physician will then insert the TUNA® device, which delivers low-level radio frequency energy directly into the prostrate. This energy shrinks the prostrate tissue by 15 to 20%, which then relieves the constriction on the urethra. After the procedure is complete, you will be given fluids to drink and will be asked to remain in the office until you urinate. In some cases J. Antonio Alarcon, M.D., may elect to insert a catherer to ensure your comfort in the initial hours after the procedure.
A.Before the examination begins, a radioactive substance is produced in a machine called a cyclotron and attached, or tagged, to a natural body compound, most commonly glucose, but sometimes water or ammonia. This process is called radiolabeling. Once this attached substance is administered to the patient, the radioactivity begins to breakdown in the body, resulting in the release of energy that is detected by the PET scanner.Different colors or degrees of brightness on a PET image represent different levels of body function. For example, because healthy tissue uses glucose for energy, it accumulates some of the radiolabeled glucose, which will show up as background areas on the PET images. Cancerous tissue, which uses more glucose than normal tissue, will absorb more of the substance and appear brighter on the PET images.Scientifically speaking, the radioactive substance delay leads to the ejection of positive electrons (called positrons and sometimes referred to as anti-matter).
Ultrasound imaging is based on the same principles involved in the sonar used by bats or ships at sea. As the sound passes through the body, echoes are produced that can be used to identify how far away an object is, how large it is, its shape and its consistency (fluid, solid or mixed). The ultrasound transducer functions as both a generator of sound (like a speaker) and a detector (like a microphone). When the transducer is pressed against the skin it directs inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body. As the sound echoes from the body’s fluids and tissues the transducer records the strength and character of the reflected waves. These echoes are instantly measured and displayed by a computer, which in turn creates a real-time picture on the monitor. The “live” images of the examination may be “frozen” to capture a still image. What are the common uses of this procedure in veterinary medicine?
Among imaging methods, MRI is unique in that it does not depend on ionizing radiation, as does the conventional x-ray examination. The basis of MRI is to direct radio waves at protons, particles that help make up the nucleus of hydrogen atoms. When this is done in a strong magnetic field generated by a large magnet that surrounds the patient’s body, the protons are alternately “excited” and “relaxed,” emitting signals that are processed by a computer program to form images. Because protons are most abundant in the hydrogen atoms of water (the “H” in H20), MRI images depict differences in the content and distribution of water in various tissues. With MRI, different types of tissue within the same body structure are clearly displayed in fine anatomic detail. In the spine, for instance, fatty tissue, cerebspironal fluid, and the central portion of the material making up the intervertebral disks contain considerable water, more than is found in bone, cartilage, and nerve tissue. MRI is wel
To begin the procedure, a small amount of radioactive glucose (or similar tracer) is injected into your bloodstream. There is no danger to you from this injection. Glucose (also known as sugar) is a common substance every cell in your body needs in order to function. Radioactive glucose must pass multiple quality control measures before it is used for any patient injection. The radiation exposure associated with PET is similar to that associated with a conventional CT scan. After the injection, you will wait approximately an hour, while the injection material is distributed throughout your body. Then, you will be asked to lie on a table that passes slowly through the scanner. The scanner resembles a CT scanner, but has a much larger opening. Some people fall asleep during the scan. When disease strikes, the biochemistry of your tissues and cells changes. In cancer, for example, cells begin to grow at a much faster rate, feeding on sugars like glucose. PET works by using a small amount
