2.6 Computed tomography (CT)

Computed tomography is a computer-controlled X-ray imaging technique where the body is imaged one slice after the other. The patient is in a lying position inside the tubular computed tomography apparatus. As they take images of the various tissues, the X-ray beams are weakened to different degrees, a finding recorded by special detectors, processed by the computer and converted into an image. Even the most minute details can be easily detected on the CT images – the latter are much more clearly visible than conventional X-ray images.
 
CT examination is used primarily for incisional hernias, parastomal hernias and diaphragmatic hernias. It is used to determine the extent of a defect in abdominal wall or diaphragm.