Cardiac CT Angiography now available
Test highly accurate In diagnosing heart disease
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY

Patients who need to undergo tests for possible coronary artery disease may have a choice in diagnostic procedures. Thanks to the 64-slice CT scanner at HealthPark Medical Center, cardiologists will be able to prescribe a Cardiac CT Angiography, a non-invasive CT scan to a select group of cardiac patients who would otherwise need to undergo cardiac catheterization.

The images produced by the 64-slice CT scanner are obtained with an incredible amount of detail and resolution; the scanner is able to capture 192 images of the heart per second.

"Motion was our enemy," says Wayne Carter, Director of Radiology at Health- Park Medical Center. "The heart moves as it beats, blood pulses through the vessels, all creating motion. In a standard CT scanner, that motion translates into a blurred, low-resolution image. The 64-slice is so fast that it reduces the blur, allowing radiologists and cardiologists a much clearer picture of the heart and its arteries."

The machine's speed also allows patients to complete cardiac exams with a 10 to 13 second breath hold, as opposed to a breath hold up to 30 seconds. Patients come in on an outpatient basis; they get an IV contrast material, oral medication and are on the table for only five to 10 minutes.

Cardiologists and radiologists work together to review the results; cardiologists and radiologists look at the coronary arteries, and the radiologists also interpret the rest of the entire chest anatomy.

" The 64-slice CT scanner offers noninvasive, virtually pain-free procedures, producing exceptional image quality, which can mean better diagnosis, faster recovery time and increased patient comfort and convenience," said Carter. "For example, we scan geriatric, pediatric and trauma patients in a single breath hold, yet the results can allow your physician to diagnose certain diseases earlier and more precisely."

The CCTA provides doctors another tool to evaluate coronary artery disease. The CCTA is less invasive and takes less time to complete than a traditional cardiac catheterization.