Contact MEDRVA Imaging Center
MORE ADVANCED
Our new imaging center has all new equipment with the latest technology and works with the experts at Radiology Associates of Richmond.
MORE COMFORTABLE
Our location away from a hospital campus with a wide-bore MRI helps to reduce patient anxiety and claustrophobia.
MORE FLEXIBLE
Our convenient scheduling options mean little-to-no wait times to get an appointment.
MORE EFFICIENT
Our equipment reduces exam times and allows for a wider variety of patients.
Offering the Latest Screening and Diagnostic Scans
FAST Breast MRI
FAST Breast MRI is a supplemental screening test for women of average to intermediate risk for developing breast cancer. It is an abbreviated version of a regular Breast MRI, which is used to screen women who are at high risk (such as women with the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 breast cancer genes). Unlike a regular Breast MRI, which can take about 35 minutes, a FAST Breast MRI takes only 20-25 minutes in the scanner. Your total appointment time will take less than an hour.
If you are of average to intermediate risk for breast cancer, a FAST Breast MRI will significantly improve our ability to find cancers not seen on a mammogram. A FAST Breast MRI screening is not intended to replace mammography. An annual mammogram remains the recommended standard of care for women over 40.
An additional screening test for breast cancer can give you peace of mind. You will need an order from your physician prior to scheduling. It is recommended that you have had a mammogram within the last year. Please also be aware that insurance does not cover FAST Breast MRI. It has an out-of-pocket cost of $299.00.
Regular Breast MRI
For women at normal risk for breast disease, regular Breast MRI is used as a diagnostic tool for the detection and evaluation of an area of interest inside the breast that was noticed on a mammogram. Use of Breast MRI allows MEDRVA Imaging to make well-informed decisions about patient cases.
For women at a high risk for breast disease, guidelines recommend that women undergo screening with regular Breast MRI to monitor their health. Or, if something needs attention, Breast MRI can be used to find it early and reduce the risk, cost, and stress that comes with a later diagnosis.
Regular Breast MRI is a complementary study to annual mammography and is not ordered independent of the mammography exam. MRI is a highly sensitive imaging technique, which means it can identify ‘false-positives’ and potentially cause unnecessary anxiety in a woman with normal risk. Your physician can make the best determination if you are an appropriate candidate for regular Breast MRI or FAST Breast MRI.
Calcium Score
To evaluate your risk for heart disease, your doctor may recommend a CT scan that provides a calcium score, which shows if there is coronary calcification in the arteries. If found, it can help predict future cardiovascular disease.
Those most at risk include those with a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD), men over age 45 and women over age 55, current or previous smokers, and those who are already overweight and have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
While this is an excellent test for predicting particular types of coronary artery disease, it is not definitive due to certain soft plaques (buildup) not being visible using this technology.
The scan is synced with your heartbeat to look for calcium deposits within the arteries. Once the test is finished, if calcium is noted, it will be given a score that estimates the extent of coronary artery disease.
Once you know your score, you and your doctor can discuss steps to take to lower your risk of developing heart disease. This test is normally performed under the guidance of a radiologist who is trained in cardiovascular imaging.
The out-of-pocket cost for the Calcium CT score is $119.
Cardiac MRI
The Cardiac MRI produces detailed images of the beating heart. The test can help doctors study the structure and function of the heart muscle, find the cause of a patient’s heart failure, or identify tissue damage due to a heart attack.
Cardiac MRIs show if the heart muscle is alive or dead. It’s the most accurate test for calculating the patient’s ejection fraction, a measurement of the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart each time it contracts.
The noninvasive test does not use X-Rays or radiation but rather relies upon a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to create a series of images of the heart and its surrounding blood vessels. Some cardiac MRI patients will receive an injection of a contrast medium or dye through a vein before the scan to improve the ability of the MRI machine to capture more detailed images of tissues.
Cardiac MRI also is used to predict how the heart will respond to treatments for coronary artery disease, such as coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Regular Breast MRI is a complementary study to annual mammography and is not ordered independent of the mammography exam. MRI is a highly sensitive imaging technique, which means it can identify ‘false-positives’ and potentially cause unnecessary anxiety in a woman with normal risk. Your physician can make the best determination if you are an appropriate candidate for regular Breast MRI or FAST Breast MRI.
Patient Forms
The Physicians of Radiology Associates of Richmond Read all MEDRVA Imaging Scans
Founded in 1905, Radiology Associates of Richmond, Inc. or RAR is the oldest ongoing private practice of radiology in the United States. Building on the traditions of quality, service and cutting-edge technology established by our pioneering founders, Radiology Associates is comprised of 60 physicians, six physician assistants and two nurse practitioners. All radiologists in the group are certified by the American Board of Radiology; most are fellowship-trained. Key radiology specialties include general diagnostic, musculoskeletal, interventional, neuro-interventional, vascular, breast imaging, neuroradiology, cardiothoracic, pediatric and nuclear medicine.
RAR offers diagnostic vascular and neurovascular interventional services to hospitals, freestanding emergency centers and outpatient imaging centers throughout central Virginia. Many of our physicians have additional training in highly specialized vascular and neurovascular specialties. For example, Dr. Efstathios Spinos is the region’s only accredited Neurointerventional physician who performs Wingspan Stent for blockages in arteries of the brain. Furthermore, in addition to directly caring for patients, many of our physicians conduct research within their areas of expertise and are leaders in their field.