FAQ
GENERAL FAQ
Have some questions?
What is virtual imaging, inc.?
Virtual Imaging, Inc. is a disease and illness prevention facility that helps you and your doctor preserve your good health. We offer patients and physicians state-of-the-art technology and information to detect major preventable diseases before symptoms arise. Virtual Imaging features the world’s fastest Computed Tomography (CT) imaging platform. Virtual Imaging offers Heart Scans, Lung Scans, Full Body Scans, and a Virtual colonography (a non-invasive colonoscopy). Patients should discuss prevention with their physician; however, the scans are most useful for men and women between the ages of 40 and 73, especially if they have risk factors such as family histories of disease (cancer, heart disease, colon cancer, or vascular disease), diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, or high blood pressure
What is a Low Dose CT Scan (LDCT)?
A low dose CT scan is a type of medical imaging that uses less radiation than a regular CT scan while still providing detailed pictures of your body. It’s a quick, non-invasive procedure that helps doctors see inside your body without having to perform surgery.
When it comes to preventive healthcare, a low dose CT scan is a valuable tool. It can detect potential health issues before they become serious problems. For example, it can find small tumors or other abnormalities that may not be causing symptoms yet, but could in the future.
Getting a low dose CT scan as part of your preventive medicine routine can give you a clearer picture of your true health. It can help you and your doctor take early action to protect your health, such as making lifestyle changes or starting treatment sooner.
The benefits of a low dose CT scan include less exposure to radiation and the possibility of detecting health issues early. This approach can lead to better health outcomes, as it allows for early intervention and treatment. Remember, knowing your true health is not just about managing illness, but also about preventing it. A low dose CT scan helps you do just that.
Low radiation doses can also reduce the risk of false positives or false negatives in imaging results. This is because high doses of radiation can cause image artifacts or distortions, which can make it difficult to interpret the imaging results accurately. By using low radiation doses, we can ensure that our imaging results are clear and reliable, leading to better client outcomes.
At Virtual Imaging, we prioritize client safety and use the latest technology to provide our clients with the best possible care. Our low-dose CT scans are safe, accurate, and reliable, and our team of experienced professionals and technicians is dedicated to helping you achieve optimal health and well-being. Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule an appointment.
Who will interpret my scan?
Your scan is reviewed by a board-certified and trained radiologist.
Why do doctors support Virtual Imaging, Inc.?
Doctors recognize that, for their patients that visit Virtual Imaging, they can offer accurate advice and more specialized care. That is why over one thousand six hundred doctors from all over Georgia and the surrounding states refer their patients to us. We are here to help you and your doctor make the best use of the valuable information you receive as a result of receiving a scan from Virtual Imaging. What makes Virtual Imaging, Inc. different?
Virtual Imaging is more than just a screening facility. It is a center specializing in detecting common, “pre-symptomatic” diseases, cardiovascular and vascular disease, lung diseases, colon cancers, and many other cancers. These diseases share numerous characteristics. However, they all have the potential to be treatable or preventable if diagnosed early.
Often times people are referred for traditional imaging only after they have become symptomatic.
Virtual Imaging aims to become the premier resource that empowers individuals, in partnership with their doctors, to preserve their quality of life through early detection.
What is the difference between screening and “pre-symptomatic” diseases?
Screening is a generic term that has both good and bad implications. For instance, should all individuals be “screened” by age 30 for cholesterol? The answer is YES. However, should all individuals with high cholesterol before age 30 be given life-long drugs to lower cholesterol? The answer is NO.
Individuals being evaluated for “pre-symptomatic” disease are those who, together with their doctor, determine that age, gender, medical history, environment, lifestyle, or heredity gives them a “better-than-even chance” for premature but preventable disease, such as heart/vascular disease, lung/colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
Specific recommendations can be made to help maintain personal health and wellness by using the knowledge of the presence or absence of early disease. It is essential to detect health problems early.
Where is Virtual Imaging, Inc.? What are the hours?
Virtual Imaging, Inc. is located in Sandy Springs, GA at:
1140 Hammond Drive I building
Suite 9120
Atlanta, GA 30328.
Virtual Imaging, Inc is located in John’s Creek, GA
11315 John’s Creek Parkway, Suite 100
John’s Creek, GA 30097
Our regular hours are 9 am – 6 pm, with our first scan scheduled at 9 and our last at 4:30. Accommodations can be made for physicians, groups, or persons with special circumstances.
Please call (770) 730-0119 to schedule your appointment or for more information.
What preparations are necessary?
The only preparation required for the Heart, Lung, and Body scans is for you to complete a standard medical history questionnaire at the time of the appointment. There is no other special preparation required.
Do I need my doctor's permission?
Virtual Imaging, Inc. is intended to function as an intermediary between the patient, who is concerned about the potential for disease, and their doctor who will be responsible for their care. The partnership between Virtual Imaging and doctors in the community is the foundation of the center’s mission.
If you do not have a current relationship with a doctor, call Virtual Imaging at (770) 730-0119 to learn about your options. Consultation directly with our medical director under established guidelines is also possible.
What does it cost?
For costs and fees please call our Atlanta office, you can also ask if you qualify for our unique Privileged Care
Alliance Program which will offer you significant savings.
What should I know about Heart Disease?
Heart (or cardiovascular) disease is the leading cause of death for men and women older than 35 regardless
of racial or ethnic background. Heart disease is more likely to cause a woman’s death than breast cancer. In
the United States, a person suffers from a coronary event nearly every 30 seconds, and one person dies from
a coronary event nearly every minute of every day.
About half of the 1,500,000 Americans who have heart attacks each year have no warning symptoms.
More than 30 percent of the fatal heart attack victims have no known risk factors. The majority of those who die suddenly would not have had abnormal cholesterol or stress tests to alert them to the potential or presence of the disease. Nearly 62 million people in the United States have one or more types of cardiovascular disease.
What should I know about lung cancer?
If lung cancer is detected early through low-dose CT (when the mass is less than 5 mm), the survival rate is 80 percent. If detected later (once the mass is 30 mm), the survival rate is less than 15 percent.
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in America.
In the United States, lung cancer accounts for 32 percent of cancer deaths in men and 25 percent of cancer deaths in women.
Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 90 percent of all lung cancers and approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population actively smoke. The low-dose CT Lung Scan can also detect emphysema, tuberculosis and other abnormalities.
What should I know about colon cancer?
Colon cancer is the number three cause of cancer deaths in men and women and the number one cause in non-smokers.
The most common form of colon or rectal cancer, adenocarcinoma, has a five-year survival rate of 90 percent when the cancer is found and treated in an early stage, and the cancer is confined to the bowel wall.
Once the cancer has spread to the liver or lungs, the five-year survival rate is about eight percent.
The American Cancer Society predicts that this year there will be about 98,200 new cases and 48,100 deaths from colon cancer.
75 percent of colon cancers are found in “average-risk” individuals.
Virtual Imaging now performs the Virtual Colonography (a non-invasive colonoscopy) using our LDCT scanner. The Virtual Colonography is a quicker, gentler, noninvasive procedure that analyses 100% of the colon as well as other vital structures in the abdomen and pelvis, which allows problems such as aneurysms, tumors or degenerative changes to be identified. There is no sedation required allowing the patient to comfortably continue with the rest of their day.
For complete information on our Virtual Colonography, please call our offices at (770) 730-0119.