Major Expansions at the Hanseklinik

Veterinary medicine is currently undergoing a change. In the past, imaging of soft tissue and bone structures relied on two-dimensional methods such as radiography or ultrasound and on advanced procedures such as MRI and scintigraphy. Now one device is coming more into focus: the CT scanner. This form of imaging offers a very high standard with regard to application, speed and diagnostic quality. This development is therefore also noticeable in equine clinics.

Since the Hanseklinik was founded in 2019, our range of treatments has already developed considerably. In addition to a new operating and recovery room, two new treatment rooms, a new dental unit and an expanded pharmacy, the clinic's services now also include a modern computed tomography scanner, the “Qalibra LB Exceed”. What does this mean for our patients?

The height-adjustable sliding platform of the new CT scanner allows different body regions to be examined flexibly without moving the horse. Because of this, the CT is also used in orthopedics for advanced lameness diagnostics and in surgery, where it helps to prepare and perform complex orthopedic procedures and CT-guided osteosynthesis. Clinic director Dr. Jens Körner emphasizes that the CT scanner is not only an asset for the clinic but, above all, a substantial improvement in patient care.

Compared with conventional radiography and ultrasound, CT offers a key advantage. The dual-energy system of the “Qalibra LB Exceed” CT uses two voltage levels to differentiate tissue densities, which allows detailed imaging of soft tissue and bone in a single scan. It is increasingly replacing MRI, as it allows very fast, high-resolution advanced imaging in horses.

In addition to the CT scanner, the expansion also includes new rooms and specialists. Dentistry, which has developed into a specialty in recent years, benefits particularly from CT imaging for accurate diagnosis and for planning and performing surgical procedures, for example in sinusitis, jaw fractures, periodontal disease or EOTRH. To offer these treatment options to as many patients as possible, three specialists will join the dental unit team from May.

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