CT Scanner

“CT scanning is one of the most important parts of the patient’s medical journey”


St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation is so pleased to partner with C95, 650 CKOM and Rock 102, creating the Give and Grow Radio Event, and helping generous donors in our community save lives! Proceeds from Give and Grow will support the purchase of a new Diagnostic Imaging CT Scanner at St. Paul’s Hospital.


St. Paul’s Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Department is a leader in our region and is open 24 hours a day, performing procedures and tests on patients from across Saskatchewan.

In 2016 almost 10,000 scans were performed at St. Paul’s. A third of these scans were emergency cases. Crucial to this work is the Computed Tomography Scanner, or simply, the CT Scanner.

A multitude of uses

The wide variety of patients whose care will include a CT scan is staggering.

“CT scanning is one of the most important parts of the patient’s medical journey,” says Marla Komaransky, Manager of Diagnostic Imaging at St. Paul’s Hospital. “Visualization is important for not only the diagnosis but also the treatment and outcome for these patients.”

General Surgeons use CT images for surgical planning. Interventional Radiologists use them to map blood vessels and gude them during invasive procedures performed in the suite. A CT scan can guide radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat to destroy cancerous cells. It can identify and diagnose internal injuries, diseases, and abnormalities. It can also assess surgery results and determine whether a cancer is responding to treatment.

Significant advancements through new technology

CT scan technology has advanced greatly and new models offer clearer and more detailed imaging in a shorter amount of time, allowing healthcare professionals to diagnose patients more quickly and more accurately.

“Right now, we have wait lists for the CT Scanner,” Komaransky says. “The new scanner would make our work significantly more efficient.”

A new scanner could provide more scans for more patients in less time. Plus, a faster scan time means the patient receives a significantly lower radiation dose.

With the new technology, biopsies can be done with real-time 3D imaging, enabling the radiologist to see exactly where the needle is being placed during the biopsy. Plus, greater detail in blood vessels assists radiologists and surgeons in interventional and surgical planning.

Helping more people

To receive a CT scan, some patients are injected with a special dye called “contrast” to highlight blood vessels and enhance tissue structure. This contrast is filtered through the kidneys, so patients with lessened kidney function may not be able to receive a CT scan. St. Paul’s Hospital manages Kidney Care in Saskatoon and Northern Saskatchewan, and many of our patients have decreased kidney function.

The new scanner requires less contrast to be injected because the machine uses dual energy imaging so is faster and more sensitive, allowing more renal patients the opportunity for a CT scan.

Additionally, the new equipment allows clear imaging of patients with metal prosthetics (such as hip replacements, orthopedic screws, and metal surgical clips). The imaging of the past was subpar and limited. Now, new technologies compensate for these situations and offer better visualization. 

You can help

Reliable, efficient CT Scanners are central to patient care. Komaransky says CT scanning is becoming one of the most popular imaging choices for physicians because the images it provides are so valuable.

A new scanner is so important to the health of the province that the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health is also involved in the project, committing 50% of the funding for the $2.4 million equipment.

You can help us get the rest of the way there. St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation is raising the remaining $1.2 million to purchase the new equipment, and we can’t do it without you.

Your donation could help more than 10,000 people annually receive the care they need.

Donate to online now, or for more information contact Kari Sinkewicz, Manager of Annual Giving at 306-655-5835 or email Kari.Sinkewicz@sphfoundation.org