Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging

Our Team      Photogallery

A brief overview of the Specialized Center of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging

Our center provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment procedures for children and adults using radiology and various imaging methods. We are particularly proud of the new pediatric diagnostic center that was first opened in 2011 and ranks amongst the most advanced centers in Europe.

Annually, we perform more than 250.000 examinations and the number increases each year. 

We cooperate with the vast majority of the departments in the hospital. Our center is divided into 12 departments – Bone diagnostics, Sciascopy and Sciagraphy department for adults, Interventional Radiology, Computed Tomography for adults, Magnetic Resonance Imaging for adults, Sonography for adults, Mammography and sonography of breast, Department of radiation physics, Pediatric sonography, Pediatric Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Department of pediatric computed tomography, and Pediatric conventional radiology.

How will your detailed schedule look like? What type of procedures, methods or treatment can you observe? Check what can you see by shadowing every member of the mentoring team.

Is this specialty placement ideal for you?

  • Are you not sure which specialty attracts you the most? Would you like to choose a placement to gain experience from the ground up? Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging placement is a perfect choice for you. We cooperate with all of the departments, which require information about the patients – you will gain insight in various cases of both, adult and child patients. Before planning the surgery or providing specific treatment, everything begins right at this center – examinations from MRI through X-rays to sonography. You would hardly find another specialty with more diagnostic methods and a bigger variety of cases. 
  • If you know that healthcare profession is your future, you should undertake this placement. The great overview of human anatomy is something you will need daily, whether you are doctor, nurse, paramedics, physical therapist, midwife, or a dentist. As there is a lot of work with advanced devices, the placement is also suitable for future technicians in the healthcare field. Seeing the different cases of patient's health problems may help you a lot when searching for your way.

Let's take a closer look at the specialties…

We provide examinations for the entire hospital complex. Patients come to us for x-ray scans, sonography examinations, CT scans, MRI scans, vascular examinations, examinations of the digestive tract, examinations within pediatric radiology and we also perform interventional radiology.

At the Department of Bone Diagnostics and Outpatient Radiology we make about 100.000 sciagraphy and sciascopy examinations every year. We focus mainly on the bone diagnostic but we also perform essential x-ray examinations of our outpatient patients. We are also able to examine patients that cannot move thanks to the special imaging bed which doesn't require patients to position themselves.  Our two digital radiography systems enable us to examine the whole spine and limbs within one exposition, one image. A lot of procedures are conducted directly in the ORs at the departments of traumatology, Spinal Surgery Specialized Center, Specialized Center of Orthopedics or Neurosurgery Specialized Center.

Adults in need of contrast examination of digestive system, bile ducts, uropoetic system, fistulography, lymphography, perimyelography, or non-vascular intervention can come to the Department of Sciascopy and Sciagraphy Radiology for Adults. Every year we perform more than 30.000 sciagraphy examinations.

The interventional radiology is performed in the Department of Interventional Radiology and is also known as the Department of Angiography. A majority of the procedures in this department are planned interventions due to findings on CT and MRI scans. Since the department has a hybrid operating room which is designed for combined surgeries, it allows us to perform surgeries in cooperation with vascular surgery. These procedures are typically implantations of stent grafts in patients with pectoral and abdomen aorta disorders. We also perform endovascular procedures.

The Department of Computed Tomography for Adults provides regular CT examinations such as CT scans of head, throat, chest, abdomen, small pelvic, limbs but also specialized CT examinations such as CT scans of heart, angiography, virtual colonoscopy, virtual bronchoscopy or dental CT scan.  When taking care of patients before and after a lung transplant, our department cooperates closely with the Pulmonology Specialized Center and Surgery Specialized Center. We also perform interventional procedures. Annually, we take care of almost 20.000 patients.

Ultrasound examinations are conducted in the Department of Sonography for Adults. We examine abdomen, small pelvis within retroperitonea structures, throat organs, joint and soft tissues. We also perform duplex examinations and interventional procedures. Annually, thereare about 25.000 ultrasound examinations.

For women, we have a Department of Mammography and Sonography of Breasts. Patients are referred to us from our own hospital or other healthcare facilities. Yearly we provide about 30.000 mammography examinations.

Department of Pediatric Radiology provides about 14.000 examinations every year and almost 1.500 of them are specialized examinations of GIT diagnostics.

In 2012, 28 children died in the Czech Republic due to child abuse. Unfortunately, 55% of those children visited a doctor during the last month of their short life. We are deeply concerned with this matter and try to deal with this tragic part our work in the best way so as to prevent such cases. Therefore, our center has created a special protocol for imaging a child who is a suspected victim of child abuse.

Our center also organizes European radiology schools within European Ultrasound Association and European Society of Radiology. These lectures are held not only for doctors from Europe but also from other countries across the globe. We also participate in organization of Czech Radiology Congress.

Who do we take care of?

Our specialized center provides diagnostic examinations in the entire spectrum of radiology for both adults as well as children. The service runs 24/7. We conduct super consultant diagnostic examination and consultations for child oncology patients. We diagnose various inborn disorders and examinations of high-risk newborns. The examinations of inborn disorders of vascular system are performed by Doppler Sonography. In a cooperation with Neurology we provide treatment for stroke patients.

Our methods and procedures

Here are some of the methods and procedures that we performed in our specialized center: 

  • MRI – new possibilities to examine vessel, functional examination of heart, tractography,T2 relaxometry, examination by non-cooperating patients, spectroscopy
  • Prenatal Ultrasound and MRI diagnostics
  • In mammography and sonography we provide ductography, cyst puncture and core cut biopsy under ultrasound, biopsy using Vacora Biopsy System , pre-surgery localization by ultrasound
  • Radiofrequency ablation and chemoembolization of metastasis on liver and lungs
  • Implementation of aortal stent grafts, brain thrombectomy, subintimal recanalisation of peripheral arteries of lower limbs, treatment of acute and chronical deep vein thrombosis, treatment of vessel accesses for hemodialysis, insertion of translumbar catheters
  • We treat brain malformations in children and adults
  • We perform bile duct interventions, including implantation of absorbable stents, spondylo and vertebroplasty
  • Radiology interventions under CT sciascopy

How does the usual schedule look like?

  • Your stay in the hospital differs according to your mentoring team shifts in pediatric and adult departments, but the schedule of our department is rather a regular one. You are guaranteed to work at least 25 hours a week.

If you are not sure whether this choice is suitable for you, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will discuss your experience and motivation and come up with the best solution for you.

Our Team


Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Martin Kočí

Pediatric Radiologist

Doctor


Anyone who loves physics would fall in love with the field of radiology, as it is a great job that combines physics, practical techniques, and medicine. Radiology is a bit of a game and a bit of a detective story. While doing an ultrasound, you feel like you are playing a computer game, but in a way that provides care to people. When you search for pathologies in images, it is just like solving a puzzle. It is much like cracking a detective’s case in that you need to put together all of the available information to determine the diagnosis. I enjoy this analytical and creative job, and making contact with all fields of medicine is very attractive to me.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

When I was 18 years old, some of my friends and relatives faced medical issues. I was very frustrated that I was not able to help them despite how much I wanted to. I was trying to decide between IT and medicine at the time, and medicine obviously won. I realized that this job is the one that makes the most sense: no matter what I run into in your life, I have a job that has a useful purpose.

You will see a lot of interesting and rare medical cases. You will learn the basics of anatomy, which are absolutely essential at the beginning of your studies. You will also learn many imaging methods that you will need no matter which specialization you choose.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

I am doing a job that has a purpose. It is wonderful to do something that you enjoy, but this comes with great responsibility. As a healthcare professional, you constantly grow and learn. You will never learn the entirety of radiology, much less medicine, and the surprises never stop coming. You think you truly understand something, and then a case comes along that you do not know how to deal with. It is a never-ending process of learning. You grow as a professional as well as a person. Imaging methods have advanced a lot in the last 30 years, and I think this evolution will continue. Of course, providing positive results is a pleasant part of this job, but it is also important to be able to cope with delivering fatal diagnoses to patients. With a proper diagnosis, we can sometimes save a life, but we can also deliver great suffering.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

While evaluating CT and MRI results, you will see interesting medical cases. While evaluating x-rays, we will discuss the basics of anatomy, which are essential for the first years of your studies. If we provide patients with fluoroscopies and ultrasounds, we will talk to the patients and explain the results to them. When I provide fluoroscopies and ultrasounds, I have a lot of contact with my patients. On the other hand, when I am working in the CT and MRI room, I don’t have that much contact with them. You will participate in the meetings I have with other doctors - in the morning, I usually meet with clinical doctors (surgeons, pediatricians, oncologists, etc.), and we discuss important cases and look for solutions. I will explain how imaging methods work and describe the devices I use. I think that a placement in radiology means that you will see huge portion of medicine and get a good base of knowledge for the beginning of your studies in university.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I like ballroom dancing. I am also a member of the worldwide rhetoric club Toastmasters, where I go to practice public speaking. During the weekends, I like to cook.

My motto…

Fall nine times and get up ten.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Veronika Koukolská

Radiologist

Doctor


During my pregnancy, my son was diagnosed with a cleft lip and other complications, and all of a sudden I had my own patient at home. It completely changed my perspective, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to directly take care of even more human lives at work – I wouldn’t want to have such responsibility. After a lot of thinking, I came to the conclusion that radiology would be the ideal solution. I joined the department and haven’t regretted it once.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

Ever since kindergarten, I have been attracted to the medical profession. I believe that I was also influenced by my mom, who is a nurse, as she often took me with her to the hospital. I loved to stamp the receipts, and I used to attend sanitary courses. Consequently, I decided to study medicine because I wanted to save the world, cure AIDS, and help people. The process of studying medicine was very challenging for me. However, I have always enjoyed medicine, and I never even considered giving up. I just wanted to be a doctor. 

The fact that we focus on pediatric patients makes our center unique. We have top-notch professionals and modern equipment. We cooperate with elite professionals from other fields, especially from pediatric surgery, neurology, and oncology. An internship in our department will allow you to see rare diagnoses, which are important to know but otherwise hard to come across.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

Unless you are currently learning a new imaging method, you switch workplaces almost every day. Because of that, the work doesn’t get boring, and I always enjoy it. The field of radiology is constantly evolving. With every new generation of diagnostic equipment, our diagnostic abilities are enhanced. It is a challenge and it never gets old. Lastly, I love that I am able to work with kids. Sometimes, it can be both mentally and physically challenging, but when you see those happy little patients, it is all worth it.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

You will see the work process in the biggest pediatric radiology center in the Czech Republic. Because of this, the number of patients with unusual and rare diagnoses is above average. Fairly often, you will come across patients with rare conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, oncological diseases, various developmental defects, or epilepsy. As a trauma center, we receive patients with serious injuries from all over the Czech Republic.

Apart from being a healthcare professional…

Outside of work, I love baking and enjoy making my own jewelry, especially earrings. I used to play volleyball, and I would love to get back to it this year or next if I am able. I love movement, running, and circuit training. My other hobby is playing computer games.

My motto…

“Everything bad is good for something.”
“If something is supposed to happen, it will, whether we want it to or not.”

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Martin Kysilko

Radiologist

Doctor


Radiology contains multiple modalities and various ways of conducting our job. Thanks to diagnostic imaging and interventions, it is also a therapeutic field. Radiologists come in contact with most of the clinical departments in the hospital, as almost all patients need to undergo at least one imaging procedure during the diagnosis-therapy process. I chose radiology after working in the internal medicine field, and I have never regretted my decision.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

During my studies in lyceum, I enjoyed my chemistry classes. In comparison to other professions involving chemical technology, medicine has an aspect of interpersonal contact and allows me to use my education outside of work by providing first aid, lecturing students, providing medical supervision at various events, and so on. Moreover, it is one of the few professions in which you can help others directly. Furthermore, there are many healthcare professionals in my family. They influenced me in a positive way when I was thinking about my university studies. Even though I never dreamed about being a surgeon as a kid, medicine was a good life choice for me.

Do not be afraid of radiology and diagnostic imaging. You will understand the images easily, even if you cannot speak Czech. After your placement, you will know how important radiology is for other specialties, and see that many people are needed while making one life better.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

Radiologists are not confined only to hospitals. As specialists, we can also find a job in the clinical sphere. One of the advantages is that, unlike in other fields, we have less administrative work related to reports about incoming and outgoing patients and documentation in patients’ wards. “Burn-out syndrome” is a side concern in this profession that radiologists usually do not suffer from. What is a challenge to me in my specialty? That is definitely proving to my colleagues how important our job is while diagnosing their patients. The variety of the work in this specialty fulfills me.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

Here you will immerse yourself in the examination procedures and diagnoses throughout various medical specialties, seeing patients from the emergency department as well as patients who have been hospitalized. I will introduce you to the exciting diagnostic part of our emergency center. You will learn about the principles of conducting and describing various radiology imaging – conventional X-ray fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography, angiography, intervention radiology, and magnetic resonance imaging. We will observe different types of radiology doctors’ rounds, the most interesting of which are indication rounds in angiology, neurology, and oncology. We will have the opportunity to watch vascular and non-vascular intervention procedures. According to your knowledge, experience, and interest, I can show you radiology from the pre-clinical point of view, with a primary emphasis on anatomy (as radiology and anatomy are closely related), as well as from the clinical perspective. This means we will move from the symptoms to the diagnosis, with a huge emphasis on differential diagnostics.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I like to ride my mountain bike. I also play volleyball, listen to the blues, and go to the cinema.

My motto…

Calm seas never raised a good sailor.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Tomáš Meliš

Radiologist

Doctor


One of the most important things that I looked for while deciding about my specialty was the variety and broad spectrum of different diagnostic and anatomical areas. I think that radiology includes by far the most extensive scale of various diseases since the imaging is one of the keystones in almost every field in medicine nowadays. The other thing that made radiology extremely desirable for me was its interventional/therapeutic part, which is transforming long and complicated surgical procedures obsolete most effectively and elegantly. 

For instance, while speaking about the vascular procedures, in the past, it took a couple of hours, and the patient's chances to live a normal life were rather small. If we compare it to the modern interventional angiographic procedures, it can take just a couple of minutes. The patient can get back to normal life in a matter of days, that is just mind-blowing.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

To be honest, I considered several fields, and medicine happened to have the most pros. I have never wanted to have a sit-down job where you quickly fall into a daily routine, and medicine is successfully keeping me from doing that. And since I was a little child, I was fascinated with the understanding of how things work, so what better way to find out about one of the most complicated things in the world, the human body, than studying medicine?

I have to encourage all the young students to come and spend at least a week at our specialized center because there is a 100% chance that they will come across something useful for their future endeavors, even though they won't be radiologists.

To see how the examinations are performed and how tricky it is to do imaging of some anatomical areas might give you more insight into your future clinical work. And what's more, it will even advance your way of thinking as a physician to become a flexible and adaptable expert one day.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

I was always fascinated with technology and its ability to make people's life easier. Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging are applying the technical perspective into a real-life practice by helping to get the right diagnosis, which essentially speeds up the treatment and helps the patient the most. The other major plus for radiology is its vast scale of different anatomical regions and a broad range of various diseases.

It is a non-monotonous profession that brings new impulses each day. Radiologists are in contact with every specialized center and department at the hospital, which makes them keep up with the latest and most up to date treatment options and therapeutic procedures. This fact, on the other hand, makes Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging a bit more challenging. Still, in the end, the satisfaction from getting the correct diagnosis is always worth the struggle.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

Since I am currently working at parts of our specialized center, the pediatric and adult ones, students will be able to see a broad range of interesting cases in children and adults. The modalities include X-rays, fluoroscopies, ultrasounds, and CTs. Some of those modalities are more focused towards the contact with the patient, like the ultrasounds, while others remain a bit more scientific and anatomically focused. Of course, we'll be covering the emergency with its urgent cases and even some of the specialized examinations, meaning that the students can gather some crucial experience for almost every field in medicine.

That makes a placement at the Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Specialized Center exceptionally valuable. Some of the ultrasound examinations include the Doppler ultrasound of the pediatric vascular anomalies or the contrast-enhanced ultrasounds at the adult part. Still, I am pretty confident that there won't be any place or time for boredom and monotony routine at our department.

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

In my spare time I enjoy doing sports, especially swimming or mountain hiking in the summer. I also like reading books and I have to admit that I enjoy playing computer games from time to time.

My motto…

Any place is good for eavesdropping if you know how to eavesdrop.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Lukáš Mikšík

Radiologist

Doctor


I started in radiology based on the recommendation of my two friends, who were thoroughly satisfied with the field. I appreciate the endless possibilities for further specialization. In radiology, I have found an ideal balance of clinical medicine and modern technology. I find the variety of the field satisfying since it is not limited to a specific organ system like the other specializations. I also had the opportunity to work in Graz, Austria in an internship program, and it helped me understand how incredibly universal this specialty is.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

In elementary and high school, I was lucky to have the biology teachers I did: they inspired me to learn everything possible about the human body and its functions. My grandfather was a dentist, and I found a very old, beautifully illustrated German anatomy textbook in his house. Despite not understanding a word of it, the pictures fascinated me, and studying medicine was a clear choice for me after that experience.

Choosing the correct medical specialty for you is one of the most important decisions in your life. I would love to be the one to present you with an excellent option. We spend a big part of our lives at work, so why not enjoy it?

What do I love the most about my specialty?

Working as a doctor is exceedingly fulfilling; I can’t imagine doing anything else for living. I am very lucky in that radiology became not only my mission but also my hobby. Working in a big hospital such as University Hospital in Motol fascinates me because a huge number of patients come through our doors every day, and among them are some who challenge us with atypical symptoms or rare diagnoses. I work with a team of amazing people with whom I can discuss my patients and have fun, which are just two of many things that enrich me. I consider the constant and extremely fast development of this dynamic medical branch to be a challenge.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

You will be able to become familiar with a variety of diagnostic methods provided by radiology. Ultrasound allows us to quickly and painlessly reveal many diseases in abdominal organs and throughout the entire musculoskeletal system. Computed tomography can be used in diagnosing almost every human body part; it is outstanding in its versatility. It plays an irreplaceable part in the diagnosing acute conditions and monitoring oncology patients. MRI allows us to scan the central nervous system and musculoskeletal system in incredible detail. Seemingly ordinary x-ray scans are still incredibly important in modern day diagnosis. Apart from routine examination approaches, I can acquaint you with more specialized methods, such as heart CT, virtual colonoscopy, intraoperative ultrasound examination, and ultrasound liver examination using a contrast medium. You will see that every day is different because, during the week, I switch between various diagnostic workplaces that are differentiated not only by their medical devices but also by the severity of the patients’ conditions. One day, for example, I could spend my time comfortably describing scan results, while the next day I could be rushing around because I have to swiftly examine patients in critical condition using CT or ultrasound.

Apart from being a healthcare professional…

I enjoy playing squash and cycling in my spare time. Some of my other interests are programming, electronic prototyping, and playing the cello. Furthermore, I like cooking and trying various methods of coffee preparation.

My motto…

Laughter is the best medicine.

Photo Jan Šibík

MUDr. Matěj Štefánek

Radiologist

Doctor


When I started studying medicine, I realized that finding the causes of sickness is what fulfills me the most. That is why subjects like genetics, pathology, pathophysiology, and radiology grew on me during my studies. The thing that always fascinated me about radiology was my teachers’ ability to infer human destinies from grey clusters in images. Radiology also offers the possibility to perform surgery in the form of interventional radiology. I decided to listen to my heart and join the Specialized Center of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University Hospital in Motol, where I have worked ever since.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

My decision to become a healthcare professional was based on many factors. I considered three main objectives in my life to make my decision. The first objective for me was to choose a profession that is meaningful and brings definite results. The second objective was to choose a profession in which I would help others rather than profit from their loss. The third objective was a desire to get to know myself better. At the same time, I was also fascinated by the act of the creation of life – how it is possible that something so complex and well-developed is created from basically “nothing”. When I look back at my decision, I know that I couldn’t have chosen a better profession.

I honestly believe that an internship in the Specialized Center of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging is very rewarding. You will come in contact with patients from various departments, and there is a diverse mix of issues from different medical specializations, such as urology, internal medicine, gynecology, surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and others.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

During my time in medicine, I have realized that it isn’t always easy to make a decision and complications can occur. At the moment when we find the cause of the problem, we can finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make a diagnosis, and thereby find a way of curing the patient. That is the reason why I decided to work in radiology and make diagnoses using imaging methods.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

For interns and young clinical doctors, it is important to see the different dimensions and depth of our work, from receiving x-ray requisitions to final reports. Our equipment gets better every year, increasing in precision and detail, but it is important to see and understand how to transform imaging data into meaningful and useful results. In our hospital, you will come in contact with a whole spectrum of diagnostic methods. For example, you may see musculoskeletal ultrasounds in sport medicine, liver elastographies to determine liver fibrosis levels, CT colonographies, and defecographies, to name a few.. My job varies greatly: I spend some days calmly interpreting radiographs of our patients, while on other days I often work in the Emergency Department for Adults and find myself in very intense situations. I strongly believe that an internship here, will be an outstanding experience for you because the patients and diagnoses are different every day.

Apart from being a healthcare professional…

Lately, I don’t have time for any hobbies other than medicine. Considering the current key events in my personal life (I am expecting a baby and moving), I am happy just to spend time with my wife. I used to dance a lot and play the clarinet and saxophone, but recently all of that had to go. After 20 years, I have started playing chess again, but I don’t expect it to last. I am looking forward to the birth of my child, and it is my dream to build a lake in my garden in the future.

My motto…

As our old president Václav Havel said: “Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred.”

Photogallery

LOVE WHAT YOU DO WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT