Sage Veterinary Imaging Welcomes Dr. Connor O'Brien

New Imaging Director will Serve Houston Area Location

SPRING, Texas, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sage Veterinary Imaging (SVI) has welcomed Connor O'Brien, DVM, to its new Spring imaging center where he will serve as imaging director.  The Sage Veterinary Imaging location in Spring opened in early May to serve veterinarians and their patients in the Houston area.

Dr. O'Brien attended McGill University and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his DVM, He completed his clinical year at Purdue University and a rotating internship at the VCA Veterinary Emergency Service and Veterinary Specialty Center in Madison, Wis. He was a practicing veterinarian focused on sonography at Veterinary Heart Sounds in New Jersey before joining SVI.

During his clinical year and internship, Dr. O'Brien developed his interest and training in imaging.  He gained advanced training from Dr. Jaime Sage of SVI through an intensive fellowship program. Dr. Sage is a leader in veterinary imaging and frequent lecturer at conferences worldwide. SVI offers one of approximately 38 residency programs certified by the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR).

In his new role, Dr. O'Brien will oversee patient care at the SVI Spring location, serving as a resource for referring veterinarians in need of human-quality imaging.  "We aim to provide the best diagnostic imaging available to obtain the correct diagnosis for pets in the Houston area." 

Dr. O'Brien believes the imaging services offered at the Spring location give veterinarians the broadest and most advanced diagnostic imaging available in the veterinary field.  "SVI offers state-of-the-art technology that is optimal in veterinary medicine in 2024 and beyond."

About Sage Veterinary Imaging
Diagnostic services at the three SVI centers include:

• 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).  MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissues, and other internal body structures. MRI has been used for more than 30 years in veterinary medicine to diagnose or assess brain tumors, slipped discs, spinal cancer, inner ear infections, liver shunts, ACL tears, lameness, and various joint injuries. The 3T MRI offers twice the accuracy in half the time.

• 128-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner; A CT scan is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce images of the inside of the body including bones, muscles, fat, organs and blood vessels. The 128-slice CT scanner offers more detectors than a 16 or 64 slice CT, larger volume coverage and shorter scan times.

• High-resolution console ultrasound.  Ultrasound enables the veterinary team to visualize disease processes more clearly and perform biopsies more accurately.  Ultrasound is commonly used to diagnose conditions such as liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis, intestinal foreign-body obstruction, and abdominal cancer.

• Echocardiography with full workups. An electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) records the electrical signals in the heart and can quickly detect heart problems and monitor the heart's health.

• Image-guided biopsies. An image-guided biopsy allows the veterinarian to biopsy suspicious areas that can't readily be seen or felt through the skin.  Using an imaging technique such as ultrasound, the veterinarian can guide the biopsy needle into the best position to obtain a sample of suspicious cells.

• Nuclear medicine.  Veterinary nuclear medicine uses very small, tracer amounts of radioactive molecules to diagnose diseases involving bone, soft tissues and vessels. This can be effective when diagnosing bone lesions, soft tissue tumors and sites of infection. Additionally, SVI offers specialized radio-therapies for treatment of feline hypertension and canine osteoarthritis.

SVI currently has two imaging centers in Texas – the Spring location near Houston, and Round Rock (serving the Austin area); the third location is in Sandy, Utah, serving the Salt Lake City area.

About Dr. Jaime Sage, DVM, MS, DACVR

Dr. Sage is a leader in veterinary imaging worldwide.  She recently completed a term as president of the CT/MRI Society of the American College of Veterinary Radiology. She has issued more than 30,000 MRI reports over the past 17 years and lectures frequently at meetings and conferences worldwide.  

Dr. Sage received her veterinary training at Texas A&M. After completing a radiology residency, she received further training as an MRI specialist with Patrick Gavin, PhD, DACVR/RO, one of the early pioneers of veterinary MRI.

More Information
Information about Sage Veterinary Imaging and its services can be found at www.sageveterinary.com. High res images are available by emailing [email protected].

Sharon Polk, 913-221-5834; [email protected]

SOURCE Sage Veterinary Imaging