Two heads are better than one, states the old adage and when it comes to the health of our patients the team at W27 Diagnostics and Imaging wholeheartedly agrees. We believe in working closely alongside other health professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Our multidisciplinary approach
We are in regular contact with colleagues from Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine, Physiotherapy, and Rheumatology, as well as advanced practitioners and GPs.
Our specialist lead, consultant radiologist Dr Subhasis Basu explains how patients benefit from a collaborative approach:
“Working closely with other health professionals helps to improve understanding. We share knowledge and expertise between the various medical disciplines, with the patient as our prime focus. In complex cases, a specialist musculoskeletal radiologist working closely alongside the surgical and medical teams can often help to troubleshoot and come to an acceptable management plan for the patient, or devise innovative solutions to sometimes quite unique problems.
As a patient you may have heard healthcare professionals refer to the term “multidisciplinary team”. This is an informal network of medical specialists who share their knowledge and expertise, pooling ideas and experience to manage appropriately for any patient’s individual needs. Once we have established a definitive diagnosis, the team then discusses which treatment strategies would be most suitable. This may range from conservative options such as physiotherapy through to ultrasound-guided injections and/or maybe surgery eventually.
Sometimes there is no “right answer” and we may not be able to completely fix the problem on our own. If this is the case, we work to optimise care to individual patient needs and expectations. Treatment or management options will depend on each patient’s condition(s) and pathology, balanced with their own lifestyle and in discussion with what they would like, to give them the greatest quality of life.”
Our diagnostic tests
W27 is a specialist radiology service providing musculoskeletal diagnostics and imaging, orthopaedics, sports injury and rheumatology.
The team is involved in diagnosing a wide range of conditions affecting the spine, bones and joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Among the diagnostic tests available are:
- X-rays – these are used to diagnose fractures and dislocations, as well as other conditions affecting the tendons and joints. They may also be used to guide surgeons during certain procedures.
- Ultrasound – these use high frequency sound waves which produce detailed pictures of the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and organs. They can diagnose a wide range of problems including trapped nerves, hernias and tumours.
- MRI scans – these use radio frequency energy and a magnetic field to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. They are particularly good for identifying stress fractures and looking at bone marrow oedema, which are lesions that occur when fluid builds up in the bone marrow, normally in response to injury or conditions such as osteoarthritis. Compared to simple X-rays, MRI scans are more detailed and sensitive to conditions in their early stages, providing a more accurate diagnosis.
- Diagnostic injections – by injecting dye into symptomatic joints, followed by a CT or MRI scan, it is possible to evaluate the surface of cartilage, joint linings, tendons, ligaments and bones and to pinpoint the precise cause of pain.
- CT scans – these use X-rays to create a detailed 3D image of the inside of the body. They are used to diagnose a range of problems with bones, joints and internal organs as well as monitoring conditions or planning custom implants in joint replacement surgery.
If you are a medical professional who would like to join the W27 professional network, covering London, Manchester and Wigan, please get in contact.
If you are a patient who would like to benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to your healthcare, then you are in the right place and the extended team at W27 would be delighted to look after you.
