The Department of Laboratory Medicine includes five services: Chemistry, Hematology, Immunology, Microbiology, and Phlebotomy. The KIMS Clinical Laboratory offers a comprehensive range of chemistry-based testing for diagnostic, prognostic, and disease monitoring purposes. The most common automated tests are performed in each of the affiliated hospitals, with a rigorous standardization and quality control program to assure comparability of results. For stat and high through put testing, we have implemented a fully automated system for sample processing and analysis for improved turnaround times and reduced errors. Consultative/interpretive reports by faculty are provided for thyroid function screening cascade, monoclonal gammopathy analyses (protein electrophoreses), and hemoglobinopathy screening.
Anatomic pathology is a vital part of the study and treatment of disease, and is a vast field comprised of decedent pathology, surgical pathology, and cytopathology. Surgical pathology is closely affiliated with the clinical and surgical departments as well as all the surgical specialties, internal medicine, dermatology, neurology, radiology, radiation therapy, and medical oncology. Surgical pathology is the basis for diagnosis either intra-operatively or following surgery, and the surgical pathologist is called to advise the clinician about the correct diagnosis, appropriate therapy and prognosis. In addition to the diagnosis, the surgical pathologist provides information about the grade of malignancy, adequacy of excision, and other important parameters which will contribute to the treatment of the patient. Slide review and consultation is an important aspect of surgical pathology, confirming the correct diagnosis, and ensuring uniformity of diagnosis and nomenclature at our institution. The exponential growth in knowledge, and the incorporation of increasingly sophisticated techniques, has made subspecialization an essential part of cutting-edge surgical pathology as practiced at KIMS.
The breast pathology service evaluates cancers and other lesions of the breast. KIMS offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic services including evaluation of biopsies and resections for diagnosis of conditions including intraductal and infiltrating carcinoma. Consultations include discussion of prognosis and assessment of therapeutic options. In addition to determining if cancer is present in biopsy tissue, important prognostic and predictive factors are evaluated to guide therapy.
KIMS' Cardiovascular and Pulmonary pathologists are expert in the diagnosis of a wide variety of cardiopulmonary and circulatory system problems, as well as complex cases involving mechanical devices. Both biopsy and autopsy consultations are performed.
The KIMS Clinical Microbiology Laboratory offers comprehensive testing for detection, isolation, characterization and susceptibility testing of infectious agents. We utilize rapid direction detection methods where possible for optimal patient care, including immunologic and nucleic acid based assays. The serology section also performs testing for selected autoimmune disorders.
Our lab performs cytogenetic analysis for both our in-patient population, community based physicians and independently run pathology laboratories, which includes a high volume of hematological cases. State-of the art technologies are employed, including molecular cytogenetic techniques, such as standard and multicolored FISH and array comparative genomic hybridization for a wide range of clinical settings from prenatal and postnatal diagnosis to cancer.
Hematopathology involves the diagnosis of blood, bone marrow and lymphatic conditions such as lymphomas, leukemias, myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative disorders, anemia and immunodeficiency related conditions. Our advanced laboratory service includes faculty and staff with expertise in both anatomic and clinical pathology. Our consultation service includes evaluation of blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and hematolymphoid lesions in other body sites.
The KIMS Molecular Diagnostics Laboratories perform a wide range of diagnostic nucleic acid-based tests for hereditary disorders, cancer diagnosis and management and other conditions.
The primary intent of the KIMS Orphan Disease Testing Center (ODTC) is to provide validated confirmation of mutations identified in research laboratories which can then be reported directly to physicians and patients who request such information for clinical decision-making. This service will be especially beneficial for individuals and families who have been identified as carrying a mutation by a research laboratory. We will confirm the mutation in a fresh blood sample from the proband or other known carriers, such as the parents. After a mutation is confirmed, diagnostic, prenatal, and carrier testing will be available for other at-risk family members. Limited full-gene sequencing for certain genes is also available.
The gastrointestinal (GI) pathology service at KIMS provides rapid and high quality diagnostic histopathology on gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsies and resections of the gastrointestinal and pancreatico-biliary systems. Our services aid clinicians to provide the most appropriate care for disease due to inflammation, neoplasia, congenital-inherited disorders, trauma and iatrogenic injury. These include major conditions such as Barrett esophagus, chronic gastritis-ulcer disease, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, benign and malignant tumors including lymphoma and carcinoma. The GI pathology service has additional expertise in transplant pathology, soft tissue pathology, and pancreatic cancer.
