Mission Spotlight: Diagnosing Airmen from the inside out

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  One department here gets to see Aviano's Airmen from a different perspective than most others; they get to see what Airmen are made of - from the inside out.

The 31st Surgical Operations Squadron Radiology Department is made up of eight enlisted diagnostic technicians and one doctor who use imaging to diagnose and treat diseases seen within the body. 

"We are here for diagnostic reasons. If you go in to see the doctor and tell him, 'I have chest pains and I've been coughing for the past week,' it could mean a number of different things," said Staff Sgt. Juan Henao, 31st SGC diagnostic imaging technician. "We give an accurate representation of what's going on in your body to help the doctor diagnose the problem."

Radiology at Aviano is comprised of several different specialties depending on the patient's symptoms.

CT scan

"The CT scan is a tattletale," explained Henao. "If there is anything going on in your body, the CT scan will be able to see it. We're the eyes of the surgeons. We pinpoint the problem and give them an exact location to cut into." 

Mammography

Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast, which is used as a diagnostic and screening tool. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses.

According to Staff Sgt. Megan Burnett 31st SGC mammographer, preventative healthcare is key in the detection of breast cancer.

"Although it is not required, mammograms are highly recommended for patients who have a family history of cancer. If we catch things at an earlier stage it's easier to save lives. That's my favorite part of the job - saving lives."

Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a sound pressure wave with a frequency greater than the upper limit of the human hearing range. Ultrasonic devices are used to detect objects and measure distances. This is commonly used to track pregnancies, but it can be used to visualize muscles, tendons and many internal organs to capture their size and structure, said Staff Sgt. Kimberly Kouete, 31st SGC ultrasound technician.

Although there are several different radiology subgroups, one man heads up Aviano, Lajes Field, Azores, and RAF Lakenheath, England, radiology departments.

Lieutenant Colonel David Ives, 31st SGC radiologist analyzes approximately 30 patient's photos a day due largely to the Picture Archive Communication System.

"The PACS allows us to integrate multiple images from multiple modalities together with three other bases and get them to the doctor so he can look at them all in one database," said Staff Sgt. Adam Hayden, 31st SGC CAT tech and PACS maintainer.

Whether it's CT scans or ultrasounds, each day the 31st SGC radiology department ensures the Airmen they encounter are physically fit - from the inside out - to remain both duty and deployment ready to support the 31st Fighter Wing mission.

"Our mission is to get people better so that they are mission ready and fit to fight," said Henao.