- Internal MedicineDr. John F. Burda graduated from Villanova University in Villanova, PA in 1993 and received his medical degree in 2000 from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Following an internal medicine internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA in 2001, he served as a General Medical Officer for the US Navy. Dr. Burda then returned to complete a diagnostic radiology residency at Drexel University College of Medicine in 2010. After an additional year of interventional radiology fellowship training at Washington University School of Medicine/Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis, MO, he began his time working in private practice. Dr. Burda is board certified by the American Board of Radiology in diagnostic radiology and vascular and interventional radiology. Joining the group in 2016, Dr. Burda holds memberships in the American College of Radiology, Society of Interventional Radiology, the Arkansas Medical Society and the Garland County Medical Society.
- Kidney StonesSpiral Multi-detector CT uses 8, 16, 64 or more detectors during continuous motion of the patient through the radiation beam to obtain much finer detail images in a shorter exam time. With rapid administration of IV contrast during the CT scan these fine detail images can be reconstructed into 3D images of carotid, cerebral, coronary or other arteries. CT scanning has become the test of choice in diagnosing some urgent and emergent conditions such as cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism (clots in the arteries of the lungs), aortic dissection (tearing of the aortic wall), appendicitis, diverticulitis, and obstructing kidney stones. Continuing improvements in CT technology including faster scanning times and improved resolution have dramatically increased the accuracy and usefulness of CT scanning which may partially account for increased use in medical diagnosis.
- Thyroid
- UltrasoundMedical ultrasonography uses ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves) to visualize soft tissue structures in the body in real time. No ionizing radiation is involved, but the quality of the images obtained using ultrasound is highly dependent on the skill of the person (ultrasonographer) performing the exam and patient body habitus. Larger patients may have a decrease in image quality due to sound wave absorption in the subcutaneous fat layer. This results in less sound wave penetrating to organs and reflecting back to transducer ultimately causing a poorer quality image. Ultrasound is also limited by its inability to image through air (lungs, bowel loops) or bone. The use of ultrasound in medical imaging has developed mostly within the last 30 years. The first ultrasound images were static and two dimensional (2D), but with modern-day ultrasonography 3D reconstructions can be observed in real-time; effectively becoming 4D.
- MRIOne disadvantage is that the patient has to hold still for long periods of time in a noisy, cramped space while the imaging is performed. Claustrophobia severe enough to terminate the MRI exam is reported in up to 5% of patients. Recent improvements in magnet design including stronger magnetic fields (3 teslas), shortening exam times, wider, shorter magnet bores and more open magnet designs, have brought some relief for claustrophobic patients. However, in magnets of equal field strength there is often a trade-off between image quality and open design. MRI has great benefit in imaging the brain, spine, and musculoskeletal system. The modality is currently contraindicated for patients with pacemakers, cochlear implants, some indwelling medication pumps, certain types of cerebral aneurysm clips, metal fragments in the eyes and some metallic hardware due to the powerful magnetic fields and strong fluctuating radio signals the body is exposed to. Areas of potential advancement include functional imaging, cardiovascular MRI, as well as MR image guided therapy.
- RadiologyThe mission of Hot Springs Radiology Services is to provide high level expertise in diagnostic imaging services to Hot Springs and surrounding areas. The physicians and staff of Hot Springs Radiology Services are dedicated to advancing the effectiveness and quality of care. Patients are considered our most valuable asset, and our doctors are committed to treating each one in an honorable and ethical fashion. We are proud to be one of the oldest radiology groups established in the State of Arkansas for over 60 years.
- X-Rays
- Nuclear MedicinePositron emission tomography (PET), scanning is a nuclear medicine procedure that deals with positrons. The positrons annihilate to produce two opposite traveling gamma rays to be detected coincidentally, thus improving resolution. In PET scanning, a radioactive, biologically active substance, most often Fludeoxyglucose (18F), is injected into a patient and the radiation emitted by the patient is detected to produce multi-planar images of the body. Metabolically more active tissues, such as cancer, concentrate the active substance more than normal tissues. PET images can be combined (or "fused") with an anatomic imaging study (currently generally CT images), to more accurately localize PET findings and thereby improve diagnostic accuracy.
- MammographyThis eleven-member group consists of board certified radiologists with subspecialty training in neuroradiology, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, CT, ultrasound, MRI, mammography, and musculoskeletal imaging.
- Computed TomographyNuclear medicine imaging involves the administration into the patient of radiopharmaceuticals consisting of substances with affinity for certain body tissues labeled with radioactive tracer. The most commonly used tracers are Technetium-99m, Iodine-123, Iodine-131, Gallium-67, Indium-111, Thallium-201 and 18F-FDG. The heart, lungs, thyroid, liver, gallbladder, and bones are commonly evaluated for particular conditions using these techniques. While anatomical detail is limited in these studies, nuclear medicine is useful in displaying physiological function. The excretory function of the kidneys, iodine concentrating ability of the thyroid, blood flow to heart muscle, etc. can be measured. The principal imaging device is the gamma camera which detects the radiation emitted by the tracer in the body and displays it as an image. With computer processing, the information can be displayed as axial, coronal and sagittal images (SPECT images, single-photon emission computed tomography). In the most modern devices Nuclear Medicine images can be fused with a CT scan taken quasi-simultaneously so that the physiological information can be overlaid or co-registered with the anatomical structures to improve diagnostic accuracy.
- Interventional RadiologyDiagnostic radiology is concerned with the use of various imaging modalities to aid in the diagnosis of disease. Diagnostic radiology can be further divided into multiple sub-specialty areas. Interventional radiology, one of these sub-specialty areas, uses the imaging modalities of diagnostic radiology to guide minimally invasive surgical procedures.
- General SurgeryDr. Soraya Ong graduated from Northwestern University in 2000 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She then worked for Kraft Foods as a Design Engineer from 2000-2002, after which she attended medical school at St. George’s University and earned her medical degree in 2007. After completing an internship in General Surgery at Nassau University Medical Center in 2009, she went on to complete a Nuclear Medicine Residency at Loyola University Medical Center in 2012, followed by a Diagnostic Radiology Residency at St. Francis Hospital (both in Illinois) in 2016. She is board certified in both Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology. She completed her training with a Breast Imaging Fellowship at Kettering Medical Center near Dayton, Ohio, and joined the practice in 2018. Dr. Ong holds memberships in the Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, Society of Breast Imaging, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and the American College of Nuclear Medicine.
- Cyst