Our Practices

Computed tomography which shows shapes and placements of organs, soft tissues and bones quite clearly and which has many advantages over other x-ray examinations; is a radiologic diagnostics method useful for generating cross sectional image of the examined body part.

It is Used Most Commonly for:

• Sinus and Inner Nose Diseases (Chronic sinusitis, Adenoid hypertrophy, Tumor, etc.)
• Middle and Inner Ear Diseases (Chronic inflammations, etc.)
• Masses in the Neck
• Nasal Cavity, Esophagus and Throat Diseases

Patients are required to make appointments for computed tomography scans which are performed with state of the art devices in our hospital.

"Direct X-Ray" device which gives direct graphies of body organs and "C-Arm X-Ray" device which is used besides the patient bed during surgery are present in our x-ray unit. Our hospital`s x-ray unit is equipped with up to date and modern devices and besides direct graphies, double contrast surveys of all normal body organs (stomach, kidney, lungs, bone, etc.) can also be performed. "Portable x-ray" which scans during surgery and next to the patient`s bed and "C-arm x-ray" devices are also present in our x-ray unit together with an x-ray device which can perform direct graphy and angiography. The scans can be handed to our patients within 3-5 minutes thanks to the automatic development device.

Digital Fluoroscopy is used in examination of digestive system, female reproductive organs and many other parts of the body.

These are special organ examinations performed made by administering a contrast agent through various ways (oral, intracavitary or intravenous). Urinary system tests, gastrointestinal system tests and teardrop and salivary gland channels, reproductive organs and some respiratory-circulation system organs examinations are present under this group.

This group of examinations are the tests performed mostly under fluoroscopic monitoring, using X-ray and personally by a Radiology specialist.

The most commonly examined organs with fluoroscopy

• Colon (Colon Film-Colon Graphs with Standard Barium)
• Upper digestive system (esophagus - stomach - duodenum)
• Intestine (Intestine Film)
• Urinary tracts (Bladder and Urinary Tracts Examinations))
• Female reproductive organs (Female Reproductive Organs Examinations)

While EEG is used in examining the causes of headaches, particularly in neurological disorders, EMG is used especially in spinal disc herniation and cervical disc herniation and in complaints such as paresthesia in arms and legs.

EEG prints the electrical activities generated by neurons of brain on paper as brain waves. EEG survey is referred to in many neurological disorders other than epilepsy, in examining the causes of headaches and in evaluation of brain functions. The examination method, which will have the treatment to be decided especially in examining the causes of syncope cases, diagnosis and type determination of epilepsy disease, is EEG.

EMG is monitoring neurons and muscles in our body through an electrical method. By using direct electric current, at a density not causing much discomfort for patients, electric transmission functions of neurons and potentials of muscles generated by discharging this electric are measured. It is performed for neural injuries, nerve entrapments, spinal and cervical disc herniations, cases such as paresthesia and burning in arms and legs, facial paralysis, diagnostics of diseases disturbing neural functions (Metabolic diseases; Diabetes, kidney failure, etc.), diagnostics of muscle diseases, diagnostics of spinal diseases followed by muscle atrophies.

Tests used for diagnosis purposes in cardiac diseases particularly ECG and also ECHO, Stress Test and Holter Test are being performed in our cardiology department.

STRESS Test

Stress (Treadmill) test is a commonly used test in diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular diseases. Stress Test is to increase the work load of heart by having the individual do some exercise in compliance with specified criteria and to examine whether there are any cardiovascular diseases which may cause deficiencies in supply of heart muscles during this loading.

ECG Test

ECG is generally performed with the purposes of diagnosing heart attack in patients applied due to chest pains, revealing regular or irregular arrhythmias, recording electrical activities of heart during stress test and evaluating various drugs` performances or side effects and functions of mechanical devices (permanent pacemaker, etc.) which may affect the heart.

ECHO Test

It provides important information especially about movements of cardiac valves and heart walls. No dyes, radioactive materials and needles are used. It causes no pain and it is harmless to the patient. In some individuals sufficient images may not be obtained due to the nature of the individual. ECHO tests are useful for in following matters.

• Cardiac valve diseases
• Diameters of cardiac cavities, whether they are large or not
• Movements of heart walls, whether there are any movement disorder or not
• Measuring internal heart pressures, cardiac dilatation, heart failure and prosthesis valve functions for patients who had cardiac valve surgery
• Cardiac sourced clot examination in patients who had strokes
• Cardiac valve problems related to the rheumatic valve disease
• Non-rheumatic cardiac valve diseases (thickening, narrowing, deficiency, blood leakage)
• Examination of fibro-calcific degeneration (blood pressure related or congenital)
• Measurement of the pressure in pulmonary arteries (pulmonary hypertension determination)
• Determination of ventricular septal defects
• Determination of cardiac tumors
• Thrombus examination in internal cardiac cavities
• Pathological modifications in aorta veins (aneurysm and tears)
• Cardiac rheumatism
• Cardiac failure
• Heart attack
• Congenital cardiac diseases

Holter Test

It is used in situations where the heart rhythm needs to be monitored for a long term. Electrodes, cables and recording device is connected to the patient. The device records the heart rhythm for almost 24 hours while the person continues with his/her normal daily life. By the end of this period the device is removed and recordings are analyzed in a computer. The short term tachycardia and all unnoticed arrhythmias during the day which were not detected in the examination are determined with this device.

For Blood Pressure Holter, blood pressures and pulses of patients are recorded during their daily activities, rests and sleeps. Thus, it is determined at what time of day blood pressures patients with long term hypertension are high. It is also used to assist diagnosis in patients suspected having hypertension.

The Interventional Radiology concept includes a series of treating processes in patients definitively diagnosed with radiologic devices, which can be performed again with these devices. It is preferred because of its ability to be performed in cases which surgery cannot be applied, it doesn`t require general anesthesia, it has a lower complication ratio, its ease of maintenance and its low operating cost.

Interventional Radiologic processes performed in our hospital:

• Emptying liquids cumulated in stomach and inserting catheters.
• Emptying liquids cumulated in lungs and inserting catheters.
• All kinds of biopsy processes (Thyroid biopsy, breast lesion signing, breast biopsy, thorax biopsy, other needle biopsies)
• Inserting catheters to kidney channels
• Biliary drainage and stent processes in bile tracts
• All kinds of cyst treatments, cyst discharge from liver and other organs and ablation treatment

Hysteroscopy is a procedure applied for the diagnosis and the treatment of the uterine cavity by access through the cervix with an illuminated camera system.

Images are displayed on a screen. The tube shaped device used to access the vagina which constitutes of a camera or lens system is called hysteroscope.

Hysteroscopy can be performed with local anesthesia in examination environment or with general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia in surgical environment. Usually it is performed within 1 week following a menstruation as view in the vagina is in its best state for hysteroscopy.

It is a method to measure the density of materials present in the structure of bones. Osteoporosis (bone loss) is determined with this method.

To whom is it performed?

• All people with high risk of bone loss.
• All women going through menopause naturally or after surgery.
• Men over the age of 70.
• People with fracture history.
• Diseases causing bone loss.
• People who were immobile for a long time.
• Patients with bone loss detected in the x-ray shoot.
• People using cortisone, medication containing thyroid hormone and epilepsy medication are required to have bone density measurement.

Laparascopic surgeries are the surgical procedure performed with the assistance of thin metal tubes (trocar) and a camera placed in the body from several separate points without making large incisions on the skin.

Removing the uterus (hysterectomy), removing the uterine fibroids (myomectomy), false pregnancy operations, ovary cyst operations, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis cases, surgically repairing the uterine prolapse (sacrocolpopexy, hysterosacropexy), repairing the bladder prolapse (paravaginal defect repair), early stage uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer surgeries may be performed with laparascopy without being exposed to the risks and complications of open surgery.

Laparascopic surgery especially in women`s reproductive system cancers is only performed in premium centers and by the gynecologic oncologists who are experienced in this field and have the relevant equipment. The open surgeries in female cancers which require large incisions from the bladder level of the front abdominal wall to the front of the chest are known for the difficulty of the procedure as well as the long recovery period, high complication rate and for the delay occurs before proceeding with additional cancer treatments. Whereas, performing the same cancer surgeries with laparascopy significantly minimizes all these problems.

Today, just like in premium cancer centers around the world, surgeries for the women`s reproductive system cancers are performed with laparascopy in our hospital and moreover, all the surgeries are performed as laparascopic or robotic surgeries whenever possible.

Mammography is the most basic method used for breast imaging. Among all imaging and diagnostic methods its is the method which can determine breast cancer at the earliest stage. It can be defined as a kind of x-ray device which can get images of breasts.

The purpose of mammography survey is to determine breast cancers at an early phase. Because the earlier the breast cancer is determined the more successful the treatment is performed. Digital mammography is used in our hospital.

Advantages of Digital Mammography

• Low radiation ratio.
• It provides an undebatable advantage in determination of microcalcifications which are findings of just the starting phase of breast cancer.
• No additional scannings are requested from patients because it processes the images on screen
• It acquires quality images by compressing the breast less compared to classical mammographies.
• Standard images of same quality can always be obtained in scannings.

MR is a radiation-free technique with which very successful results can be obtained particularly in imaging of soft tissues. Many cancer focuses, which cannot be determined with other diagnostic methods, may be determined. It is a painless technique free of any medication necessities, which may cause allergic reactions, enabling examination of body parts by making Hydrogen atoms in the body vibrate with radio waves within a very powerful magnet area without any harmful x-rays.

Patients with pacemakers, using ear implants, with clips affixed to their brain vessels through brain surgery and pregnant women within the first three months of pregnancy are not taken in to MR examination because of the complicated operation principle of MR device.

In Which Patients is MR Used?

• Nervous system imaging such as spine, spinal cord, brain, head, neck, neuroradiology, cervical, lumbar and slipped disc.
• Examinations of soft tissues called as musculoskeletal system and bones.
• Stomach, abdomen, breast, soft tissue lesions imaging.

The technique which is also know as color ultrasound colloquially is not a method only used for pregnancy monitoring. It is a method used for monitoring various diseases in both women and men besides pregnancy. Color doppler examination draws blood flow direction and speed in blood vessels on a screen by red-blue colors.

The most examined blood vessels with color doppler ultrasound are the blood vessels in the navel cord of a baby (umbilical blood vessels). Other than that various blood vessels such as uterus blood vessels, brain blood vessels, cardiac blood vessels can also be examined. It is especially performed in babies with suspicion of growth deficiency in uterus, in case of anomalies, cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac anomaly and in patients with high blood pressure. It is not a routine examination performed in every pregnancy.

With 4 dimensional (4D) Ultrasound devices it is possible to determine the gender of a baby at a very early stage and early diagnose cleft palate, cleft lip, missing finger and diseases caused by brain and spinal cord.

The "mongolism" (Down`s syndrome), determined by thickness of back of the neck, can be scanned at 3rd month due to the 4D ultrasound. Therefore four dimensional ultrasounds are preferred over conventional 2 dimensional (2D) ultrasounds.

Also, with four dimensional ultrasound, development of twins, triplets, eagerly anticipated by their parents with a particular joy and excitement, may be monitored more clearly.

4D ultrasounds enable parents, excited to have babies, to find out the sex and get color photos of their babies as they have both color doppler and 3rd dimension features combined besides their conventional feature to examine in two dimensions.

Pulmonary function test is a diagnosis method useful for measuring lung capacities and functional state objectively by a device called "spirometer". Air volume intake capacity of lung and air flow velocity generated with strong respiration performed during inspiration and expiration of this air by lung can be measured by this test. These two parameters give extremely important clues for diagnostics of many diseases.

When Are Pulmonary Function Tests Necessary?

• In shortness of breath, stridor or long lasting coughing complaints.
• In diagnosis of asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and differentiation of these diseases.
• In monitoring of courses and treatment efficiencies of diagnosed COPD, asthma, heart failure and diseases holding pulmonary muscles.
• In evaluation of disability caused by a pulmonary disease.
• In scanning of individuals or groups with pulmonary disease development risks (For example, smokers, mine workers, workers inhaling harmful gases in their working environments).
• For determining pulmonary complication risks related to surgery for patients subject to general anesthesia and taking necessary precautions in pre-surgery period for patients with risks.
• With the purpose of surveying effects of chest deformations (shape defects) whether congenital or not to respiration.

Varicosis, which is a vascular disease seen mostly on legs, is experienced by 60 out of 100 women over the age of 20. This disease, which has an increasing rate of incidence considering genetic factors, threatens men besides women. Varicosis cause intense pains in time and also generates undesirable views.

Up To Date Treatment Options for Varicosis Diseases

Treatment plan is specified according to the blood vessels in which the disease exists (superficial/deep/capillary), the degree of the disease (pyrosis/leakage amount) and the forefront complaints of the patient (pain, distention, view). Treatment options for varicosis are:

Surgical treatment: In cases with superficial venous deficiency, surgical treatment may be necessary if high degree of leakage and high degree of dilatation in venous are present. It requires general or spinal/epidural anesthesia.

Surgical treatment: In cases with superficial venous deficiency, surgical treatment may be necessary if high degree of leakage and high degree of dilatation in venous are present. It requires general or spinal/epidural anesthesia.

Laser or Radiofrequency: It is the process of burning the blood vessel from inside by applying laser or radio frequency energy with a catheter inserted in to the blood vessel accompanied by ultrasound in advanced degree superficial varicosis. This way the vein is shriveled and completely closed. Laser or radio frequency energy may also be used for superficial capillary variscosis. It is the ideal treatment method for superficial capillary vessels smaller than 1mm diameter. Capillary vessels are completely wiped after application on capillary varicosis. Sclerotherapy process may be required before or during the treatment.

Sclerotherapy: It is also known as drug or foam treatment. It is the most proper treatment method for superficial blood vessels between 1-4 mm diameter. The blood vessel inner wall structure is deformed by injecting drug or foam in to blood vessels of this size and the blood vessel is ensured to shrivel and close.

It is a mandatory test used as a scan test for determination of hearing in newborn babies and it also shows whether there are any loss of hearing caused by inner ear or not. Newborn hearing tests in our hospital are performed in two phases as:

• Otoacoustic emission (OAE)
• Automated auditory brainstem response (AABR)

AABR and acoustic immitancemetric examination containing high frequency probe tone are performed for babies who fail OAE.