CT Coronary Angiogram is the latest non-invasive test to image the coronary arteries.

We always knew that coronary artery disease was a disease of the vessel wall and not the lumen supported by the fact that 70% of acute myocardial infarcts occur in arteries that have less than 50% stenosis but until now, we were unable to image the vessel walls in a non-invasive environment as The significance of vessel stenosis demonstrated on catheter angiography is diminishing now that we can see and analyse the plaques with a CT scan.

• The CT Coronary Angiography is a non-invasive test.
• The patient does not require any sedation, it is done on a walk in/walk out basis
• The well-known complications of catheter angiography such as strokes, dissection, false aneurysm, retroperitoneal bleeding and post procedural vessel occlusion due to contrast irritation does not happen with CT Angiography.

Now we are able to differentiate soft and vulnerable plaques from stable plaques. This enables us to identify the at risk patients.

Doing a CT Coronary Angiography also gives additional information such as stroke volume and ejection fraction, can identify pulmonary emboli and aortic dissection. This single test can rule out the three main life-threatening conditions that present with chest pain.

Indications for Coronary CT Angiography

• Chest pain for investigation.
• Evaluation of inconclusive tests such as stress test or ECG changes.
• Evaluation of bypass grafts and stents.
• Screening of high-risk individuals when soft plaque is suspected.
• Evaluation of patients with known Coronary Artery Disease who have new or uncertain symptoms.
• Patients who decline conventional Coronary Angiography (for fear, denial or prior negative experience).
• To visualise suspected anomalous coronary arteries as they can be easily seen on the 3D images.

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