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Cardiac CT Angiography

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can CT scans help detect heart disease?
Q: Will patients feel claustrophobic?
Q: Why do I have to have a cardiac catheterization instead of cardiac CT angiography?
Q: Who’s eligible for it?
Q: Will my insurance pay for it?

Q:  Can CT scans help detect heart disease?
A:   Yes.  Physicians use CT scans to quickly see an incredibly detailed image of a person’s heart and coronary arteries.  If heart and vascular disease is discovered at an early stage, doctors can recommend more effective treatment options and lifestyle changes that can reduce risks and potentially save lives.

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Q: Will patients feel claustrophobic?
A:   Our state-of-the-art CT system is specifically designed to provide the ultimate in patient comfort. Its design is more open which allows patients to see outside the machine during most of the examination, reducing claustrophobic effects.  This more open, unobstructed view offers greater comfort than conventional “tube shaped” machines.

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Q:  Why do I have to have a cardiac catheterization instead of cardiac CT angiography?
A:   Your doctor is the best person to decide which test is best for you.   There are some heart functions that the cardiac cath can detect that the CT is not used for.

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Q:  Who’s eligible for it?
A:   Cardiac CT angiography will aid in the evaluation of select patients with chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms of heart disease to determine if they are at risk for a heart attack before it occurs.  It is not appropriate for emergent cardiac patients, who are showing signs of heart attack.  In those cases, a cardiac catheterization is still the standard treatment to immediately open blocked arteries and stop heart attacks.  Your doctor is the best person to decide which test is best for you.  

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Q:  Will my insurance pay for it?
A:   Insurance coverage for cardiac CT angiography is evolving.  This is relatively new technology and insurers are developing guidelines.

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