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Heart disease is the world’s biggest cause of death and a heart attack is often the first symptom of heart disease. This form of heart disease is due to a blockage/s of the coronary arteries. Invasive coronary angiogram is the standard test to assess the coronary artery blockages and this requires a catheter to be inserted into the heart.
A cardiac CT scan is a non-invasive alternative test to look at the coronary arteries. The process which is similar to an x-ray procedure examines the coronary arteries for blockages and abnormalities that cause reduced blood flow and can result in chest pains (angina) or heart attacks. It can also be used to evaluate the presence and extent of calcium in the coronary arteries and the ‘calcium score’ obtained can be used to predict the likelihood of coronary artery disease.
CT scanning is like looking into your heart by cutting it into thin slices; hence the frequent reference to the cardiac scanner as a “multi-slice CT”. A Cardiac CT scan uses special x-ray equipment to produce detailed cross-sectional pictures of the heart and is used to visualise the blood vessels to the heart. The information is then used to optimise patient care, helping to determine what treatments or further evaluations are needed and to tailor long-term health goals as appropriate.
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Any appointment for Cardiac CT procedure, kindly call Radiology Counter (Block B) at +603 – 2617 8362.