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ENHANCED VIEWING ON NEW ULTRASOUNDS
Patient interest in the new technology has been tremendous. "People have seen the ads about the new ultrasounds on television and everyone is asking, 'Do you have this?'" says Dr. Wolf. "The picture they see is the difference between a live action video with the new system and a photograph with the traditional ultrasound."
Dr. Wolf says that his practice, whose physicians specialize in the care of high-risk pregnancies, is always interested in acquiring the most advanced technology available for the care of their patients. The image provided by the new ultrasound has a number of medical benefits. Physicians and sonographers have an enhanced view of fetal development, which may aide in the evaluation of babies with certain conditions, such as cleft lips or spina bifida. If there are problems with the baby's cardiovascular system, the new system can provide a more complex view of the major blood vessels of the heart. The new system allows the physician to view all sides of the spine, or any organ, and twist the picture for a 360-angle inspection. Also, the addition of "real-time motion" allows them to see that the baby is moving the appropriate amount for gestational age. Dr. Wolf adds, the live action view, which clearly resembles a baby to a greater degree than traditional ultrasounds, may foster greater understanding of the pregnancy and promote parent-baby bonding. "It brings the pregnancy to life for the parents," he says. "Watching as the baby moves his mouth and sucks his thumb makes it more real."
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This summer the practice welcomed a new fleet of four ultrasounds with 4-D capability. Traditional ultrasound images are two-dimensional. The new system allows physicians to see the image on three simultaneous planes: transverse, longitudinal and horizontal. These views, combined with the ability to see movements, bring about 4-D images. The new system actually uses the traditional ultrasound machine and a new 4-D probe.
