Ultrasound Diagnostics

Department Overview The Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis of the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University currently has a total of 127 medical and nursing staff members, 60 physicians, and 67 full-time nurses and data-entry staff members, of whom 9 hold doctoral degrees. Under the leadership of Deputy Director Zhang Xiaoshan (presiding over the work), the Ultrasound Department was named the “Key Discipline of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region” in 2017, approved as the “Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Fetal Cardiac Ultrasound Diagnosis Center” in 2018, and in 2019 the number of people examined throughout the year exceeded 750,000. The department currently has 40 high-end color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic systems and 5 portable ultrasound diagnostic systems. The department is divided into 6 professional groups: Cardiac and Great Vessels Group, Cerebral and Peripheral Vessels Group, Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Group, Thyroid, Breast and Small Organs Group, Prenatal and Gynecology Group, and Interventional Treatment Group. It is capable of performing all new ultrasound technologies currently available in China: tumor radiofrequency ablation, interventional needle biopsy, thyroid FNA cytological examination, ultrasound-guided particle implantation, interventional treatment of joint diseases, level III fetal screening, right-heart contrast echocardiography, contrast echocardiography of the left ventricular cavity and myocardium, contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the abdomen, gastrointestinal tract, and small organs, fetal echocardiography, transesophageal ultrasound, transcranial bubble test, contrast-enhanced ultrasound of carotid plaques, salpingography, three-dimensional pelvic-floor ultrasound, enema reduction of pediatric intussusception, three-dimensional breast ABVS examination, etc. The department currently leads 2 National Natural Science Foundation projects, which have been completed and passed final acceptance; it leads 34 Inner Mongolia Natural Science Foundation projects, for which a total of 1.98 million yuan in research funding has been obtained. It has received 2 second prizes and 2 third prizes for scientific and technological progress of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as 2 second prizes and 6 third prizes from the Inner Mongolia Medical Association. The department has currently published 13 SCI articles, with a total impact factor of 23.971 points. It has published 4 articles in Chinese core journals and 157 articles in Chinese-language core journals. It has received 1 individual Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Grassland Talent designation, 1 Grassland Talent Innovation Team designation, and 1 Autonomous Region 321 Talent designation. The specific projects and clinic hours are as follows: Cardiovascular Ultrasound Examinations and Clinic Hours Our cardiovascular group, in addition to performing routine cardiovascular ultrasound examinations, also performs the following: 1. Transesophageal ultrasound examination 2. Fetal echocardiographic examination: The period from 22 to 28 weeks is the optimal time for examining the fetal cardiac structure. 3. Right-heart contrast echocardiographic examination: to determine whether paradoxical embolism is present in patients with migraine and cerebral infarction. 4. TCD bubble test: to identify populations susceptible to cerebral embolism, assess the risk of stroke, and monitor treatment efficacy. 5. Contrast-enhanced examination of carotid plaques Clinic hours: Monday to Sunday all day Abdominal, Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, Obstetric and Gynecological, Interventional, and Intraoperative Ultrasound Examinations and Clinic Hours 1. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound It is used for the benign/malignant diagnosis of lesions of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, thyroid, and breasts, for arthrography to clarify synovial activity, and to assess the stability of carotid plaques and cerebrovascular perfusion. 2. Ultrasound examination using the gastrointestinal filling method It is suitable for gastrointestinal space-occupying lesions, acute abdomen, mucosal lesions and lesions with mucosal thickening, and elderly patients or patients with complications who are unsuitable for gastroscopy. Preparation before examination: fasting on an empty stomach for 8 hours before the examination Clinic hours: Monday to Friday morning, by appointment at the ultrasound reception desk of the outpatient or inpatient department 3. Musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve ultrasound examination technology The Ultrasound Department is the first musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve application training center in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; specific musculoskeletal and nerve ultrasound examinations include: (1) Joints: assessing joint effusion, synovium, bone, cartilage, and other lesions in all joints of the body. (2) Skeletal muscle and soft-tissue trauma and tumors (3) Peripheral nerves: diagnosis of peripheral nerve entrapment, neurogenic tumors, traumatic neuromas, diffuse neuropathies, etc. (4) Musculoskeletal intervention: ultrasound guidance can be used to precisely treat frozen shoulder, tenosynovitis, and other joint inflammation; perform aspiration treatment of tendon-sheath cysts, popliteal cysts, etc.; and perform pain treatments such as peripheral nerve blocks. Clinic hours: Monday morning, Tuesday to Thursday all day, Friday all day for musculoskeletal intervention, 0471-3451053 4. Obstetric and gynecological ultrasound examination technology For obstetrics, fetal level III screening and diagnosis and interventional technologies are performed, including: (1) Early-pregnancy screening (NT measurement): the middle-to-late period of early pregnancy (11~14 weeks) is a relatively sensitive indicator for screening chromosomal abnormalities—including trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). (2) Systematic ultrasound examination (also known as level III fetal malformation screening): second trimester of pregnancy (optimal at 20~22 gestational weeks) (3) Interventional ultrasound prenatal diagnostic technology: ultrasound-guided amniocentesis and umbilical vessel puncture. Precautions: gynecological and early-pregnancy examinations require a full bladder; obstetric screening requires an advance appointment at outpatient examination room No. 8. Clinic hours: routine gynecology and obstetrics: Monday to Sunday all day; obstetric screening: appointment patients only (4) Clinical application of ultrasound in neonatal craniocerebral diseases Clinic hours: visit by prior appointment 5. Ultrasound intervention Ultrasound intervention is a new technology developed on the basis of ultrasound imaging to further meet the needs of clinical diagnosis and treatment. The Ultrasound Department of our hospital has a nationally first-rate ultrasound intervention room and an excellent ultrasound intervention medical and nursing team, with a floor area of 216 square meters and two class-1000 operating rooms. The projects routinely performed at present are as follows: (1) Ultrasound-guided needle biopsy: biopsy of soft tissues in all parts of the body. (2) Ultrasound-guided aspiration and sclerotherapy of cystic masses in various parts (3) Ultrasound-guided catheter placement and drainage and drug injection treatment (4) Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency and microwave ablation treatment of thyroid nodules, liver tumors, breast tumors, uterine adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, etc. Clinic hours: Monday to Friday all day Contact appointment telephone 0471-3451055 6. Intraoperative ultrasound Application of intraoperative ultrasound during surgery for intracranial tumors and interventional treatment of heart disease. Clinic hours: by prior appointment.