John W. Gianini, MD
Abdominal Imaging subspecialist, Dr. John W. Gianini, answers questions about the practice of Radiology, recent innovations in the field, and what patients should understand about undergoing a radiological service.
Q: What inspired you to go into Radiology?
I chose radiology as a field somewhat by accident. Throughout most of my medical school career, I thought I wanted to be a surgeon and had decided upon orthopedic surgery as my career choice by my fourth year of medical school. That same year, I decided to take an elective in Musculoskeletal Radiology to learn more about the images that assisted the orthopedists in the clinic and operating room. I was surprised to discover during this elective that the field of radiology itself was so interesting. I loved the subtle clues that helped lead to the correct diagnosis and found the physics behind the imaging fascinating. I realized this specialty had the perfect combination of technology, anatomy, and physiology to satisfy my interests. Years later, I am thrilled with my decision.
Q: What are some of the new techniques available that benefit patients in your subspecialty area?
While I sometimes interpret a wide array of imaging studies, my fellowship training and particular area of interest is in Abdominal Imaging. This subspecialty develops exams and interprets studies related primarily to the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. It has been a rapidly-evolving field and many new techniques are available that significantly impact patient care. MRI imaging of the prostate and liver are two fields with recent advances:
Prostate MRI has now become a mainstream imaging tool to identify and stage prostate cancer. In certain instances, it allows men to avoid prostate biopsy or it can help direct biopsy to the correct area. At Radiology Associates, we are using the latest MRI techniques and these exams are interpreted only by radiologists who are specially trained in this area.
Liver MRI advances now allow us to identify conditions that previously were only able to be diagnosed reliably with invasive liver biopsy. Our newest technology allows us to determine if a patient’s liver contains abnormal quantities of fat or iron which sometimes can lead to end-stage liver disease (cirrhosis). In addition, we can use a technique called elastography to determine if a patient’s liver has developed fibrosis or cirrhosis without having to undergo biopsy.
Q: Is there anything else you would like patients to understand about the field of Radiology?
Whenever I have a chance to educate patients about the field of radiology, I try to impress upon them the importance of where they obtain their imaging. Some assume that getting an MRI is similar to getting their cholesterol level checked during blood work – essentially that all the MRI equipment (or any radiology equipment) is the same and that the results are pretty much automated so anyone looking at the pictures will arrive at the same diagnosis or identify all of the important findings. This could not be further from the truth. High-quality imaging requires good equipment, radiologist direction at the time of image acquisition, and an appropriately trained radiologist interpreting the study.
For more information about Dr. Gianini, please review his profile here.