Imaging (Radiology)

Monash Imaging is one of only two dedicated tertiary paediatric imaging services in Victoria. It provides a comprehensive diagnostic imaging service to the children of the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Eastern Victoria and Tasmania.

Victoria’s only Professor of Paediatric Imaging, Professor Michael Ditchfield, leads an expert team of experienced paediatric radiologists with subspecialty interests which include MRI, neurology, orthopaedic, urinary, cardiothoracic and neonatal imaging.

The team also includes caring medical and allied health professionals such as medical imaging technologists, sonographers, nurses and Child Life Therapists with extensive experience in preparing children for imaging procedures.

The team provides imaging services to surgeons and other clinicians so that they can treat the medical and surgical conditions of their patients.

Paediatric Imaging Fellowship

Our radiologists have a strong commitment to teaching and research and are regularly invited to speak at national and international meetings. They have had more than 100 peer-reviewed papers published in journals and received research grants totalling more than $3 million. They are on several paediatric imaging advisory bodies for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and Government.

A Paediatric Imaging Fellowship at Monash Children’s Hospital is available for radiologists interested in further general or subspecialty training in paediatric imaging. Research and teaching is encouraged. Candidates must be eligible to register with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria and have completed their general radiology training.

For fellowship inquiries contact Professor Michael Ditchfield on Michael.Ditchfield@monashhealth.org

Services
The comprehensive range of imaging services includes:

• Plain x-ray (including OPG – orthopantomogram x-ray of all teeth)
• Fluoroscopy
• CT (computed tomography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
• Ultrasound (including Doppler ultrasound)
• Nuclear medicine and DEXA (for bone mineral density)
• Angiography and interventional procedures
• PET scanning

These imaging services are provided within Monash Children’s Hospital Clayton, Dandenong Hospital and Casey Hospital, as well as at Moorabbin Hospital.

How do patients prepare for imaging?

Patients must have a request form provided by their doctor. Monash Imaging accepts referrers’ requests printed on any other imaging provider’s request form.

• Patients will receive more detailed preparation instructions at the time of booking.
• Patients must inform the booking clerk if:
  • they weigh more than 150kgs
  • they have a contagious infection so that we can schedule an appropriate time and waiting area
  • they are pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Your child may require procedure preparation with our Child Life Therapy service or general anaesthesia, especially for MRI, and this will be arranged at the time of your booking.

Modality specific information and instructions

The common paediatric imaging procedures, and information on how to prepare your child for them, include:

• Plain X-Ray
• Fluoroscopy: Barium Meal and
• Fluoroscopy: Micturating Cystouterthrogram (MCU)
• Ultrasound: Kidney
• Ultrasound: Hip
• Nuclear Medicine
• CT (computed tomography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

For more information about your child’s procedure follow visit the Inside Radiology webpage of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Referrals to all services can be scanned and sent to:

Email: mchimaging@monashhealth.org
Fax: (03) 8572 3234

Monash Imaging accepts referrers’ requests printed on any other imaging provider’s request form.

For more information about how to prepare your child for different imaging procedures see http://www.insideradiology.com.au/pages/list_index.php