This past weekend, on Sunday, October 13, Dr. Perry Pickhardt of the Abdominal Imaging Section was be featured on the Big
Ten Network’s program Forward Motion, which spotlights faculty around the Big 10. Dr. Pickhardt’s work was highlighted along with Dr. Josh Medow of the Department of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Richard Davis of the School of Music.
Specifically, Forward Motion highlighted Dr. Pickhardt’s work with virtual colonoscopy. Virtual colonoscopy is a minimally invasive technique used by radiologists and gastroenterologists to image the colon without the need for pain medication and sedation for the patient. This procedure involves computer software creating a 3-D image of the colon, instead of inserting a camera. Then, if polyps (growths) are detected, a regular optical colonoscopy will be performed the same day with medicine and sedation, in order to remove them and further diagnose the patient.
What makes virtual colonoscopy so powerful is that it not only produces an image of the colon, but it also gives radiologists
a chance to look around in the pelvis and abdomen for other abnormalities. This is extremely important because it has the
potential to detect other life-threatening conditions that are not found in optical colonoscopy procedures.
Keep up the good work Dr. Pickhardt!