Laura Anderson, Andrea Milbury, Ashley Montague, Madison Plant, Natalie Wallace and Cheyenne Wilson, fourth year students at Horizon's The Moncton Hospital School of Radiologic Technology 

We are back to share even more little-known X-Ray procedures. To read about a few other procedures, you can check out part one of this blog here.

To recap, radiological technologists work throughout the health care system. While you might see us most often in the Diagnostic Imaging department, we also work in operating rooms, Intensive Care Units, speciality clinics and even morgues.

From pediatrics to geriatrics - we work with diverse patient populations and participate in many different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Below you'll find unique procedures we perform in collaboration with other health care providers.

Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study

A Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS), also known as a "Cookie Swallow" is a radiographic procedure performed collaboratively by a radiological technologist and a speech language pathologist (SLP).

This examination is commonly performed on patients with neurological symptoms who have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) resulting from events such as a stroke.

During live imaging, the patient is fed different consistencies and textures of barium contrast medium (substance used in radiological procedures), which can range from a thin liquid to a thick paste coated in cookies.

The radiological technologist manipulates the fluoroscopic machine while the SLP directs the patient and records the procedure.

The results are reviewed by the SLP to determine if the patient can safely reintroduce liquid or solid food to their diet.

Endovascular Coiling for Brain Aneurysms

A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in one of the arteries of the brain. If ruptured, an aneurysm can cause bleeding into the brain.

Endovascular coiling procedures are performed by a health care team to treat aneurysms.

Using live imaging (fluoroscopy), the interventional radiologist, with the assistance of the radiological technologist, guides a small catheter from a main access point in the pelvis to the artery in the brain containing the aneurysm. Metal coils from the catheter are used to seal off the aneurysm.

During the procedure one radiological technologist manages the sterile instrument tray and another manages the X-ray equipment and prepares the contrast media used to see the artery on the monitor (seen as dark area on above image).

Investigating Fertility Issues: Hysterosalpingography

It might be hard to believe, but roughly 1 in 6 Canadian couples experience infertility.

Hysterosalpingography is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used to examine the uterus and fallopian tubes. 

A gynaecologist performs the test with assistance from a radiologist and a radiological technologist.

The radiological technologist manages the sterile field, ensuring equipment is available for the procedure and aids in the preparation of contrast media. Images are taken as the contrast flows from the uterus into the fallopian tubes.

During the procedure, the gynaecologist fills the uterus and fallopian tubes with contrast media and the radiologist performs fluoroscopic imaging. The technologist will attend to the patient's comfort and safety, while managing the imaging equipment.

Being a radiological technologist involves so much more than broken wrists and elbows. Thanks for reading about some of the lesser-known procedures we perform!

The Moncton Hospital School of Radiologic Technology and Saint John School of Radiological Technology partner with the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) to deliver a 4-year Bachelor of Health Sciences in Radiography. Graduates of the program become a radiological (X-ray) technologists.