Computed Tomography Coronary Angiogram
Known as CT coronary angiography allows visualisation of the blood supply to the heart using a CT scanner. The hospital will arrange a convenient appointment. On arrival, prior to the scan, a cannula (plastic tube) will be inserted into a vein in your arm. You will have an ECG attached, and then the machine will ask you to hold your breath and pictures obtained.
Cardiac Computer Tomography
Cardiac Computer Tomography or Cardiac CT can look at the heart vessels non-invasively using a very fast CT scanner which takes multiple virtual slices of the heart
The first picture is a scout picture to target the X-rays where they are needed, and then contrast will be injected via the cannula to show up the blood vessels, and pictures obtained. Getting good pictures is vital for diagnosis, so medication, usually a beta-blocker, will be injected via the tube first to get your heart rate slow and steady. The radiation dose from modern machines is very low, and the images allow precise diagnosis of blockages and estimates of severity which guide treatment plans.