The Abdominal Imaging section at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) provides clinical coverage and teaching at six clinical facilities (University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Roosevelt Clinic, Eastside Clinic and the Puget Sound VA Medical Center). The Abdominal Imaging section consists of 16 full and part-time [faculty], offers eight ACGME fellowship positions, and one or two non ACGME fellowship positions. Two program coordinators support our faculty and fellows directly.
Abdominal Imaging encompasses all diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of imaging studies performed on the abdomen and pelvis. We cover all services including ultrasound, CT, MRI, fluoroscopy and diagnostic procedures. Our expertise includes acute as well as non-emergent thoracic, abdominal and pelvic applications including dedicated hepatobiliary, pancreas, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, transplant and intra- and perioperative imaging, cancer staging and vascular applications, cardiac imaging, high-risk obstetrics and post-trauma imaging.
We also specialize in dedicated and advanced imaging modalities such as contrast enhanced ultrasound for liver, kidney and other tumors, ultrasound elastography for liver fibrosis, ultrasound fusion and navigation imaging for biopsies and other interventions of tumors in the liver and other organs difficult to reach, low-dose and dual energy CT to minimize radiation and iodine contrast dose required and for analysis of renal stone composition, liver imaging using diffusion weighted imaging and various contrast agents, functional MR including MR elastography for liver fibrosis, MR of the pelvic floor for pelvic floor dysfunction, MR angiography and MR lymphangiography for lymphedema and lymphatic leaks.
Given the large spectrum of organ systems and conditions in our field, our faculty members have diverse clinical and research interests and strengths in abdominal, pelvic, obstetrical, vascular and cardiac imaging, image guided interventions, outcomes research, radiology economics, quality improvement and informatics.
The University of Washington is the largest medical academic institution in the Pacific Northwest. Harborview Medical Center is the only Level-1 adult and pediatric trauma center serving five US states in the Northwest and beyond. As a center for excellence in providing radiology services at all sites, the Abdominal Imaging section collaborates closely with other sections in radiology and clinical departments and plays highly active roles in clinical practice, continuing medical education, resident and fellowship training, quality improvement and research.
We use state-of-the-art equipment at all facilities, including exclusively high-end ultrasound systems (some capable of contrast enhanced ultrasound exams using microbubble agents, elastography and fusion navigation features for biopsy guidance), 64-256 channel multidetector dual energy and dual source CT systems with dedicated radiation dose monitoring software and top notch 1.5 and 3 Tesla MR systems.
Research areas in our section include Low dose and Dual energy CT, ultrasound elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound applications of the liver and other organs, various other ultrasound techniques and MR techniques of the abdomen and pelvis.