What is a CT Coronary Angiogram?
A CT coronary angiogram is a two-part test to look for the presence of coronary artery disease, which is caused by a build-up of fatty material in the walls of the coronary arteries.
Your appointment
On arrival in the Imaging Department, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown and taken into the CT room, where the scan will be explained to you by the Consultant Radiologist and Radiographer. When you are on the scanner bed, we will connect ECG leads to your chest and insert a cannula into your arm. This will enable us to give you a contrast injection and any drugs that will be required. You will be asked about any allergies you may have. The scans are performed at high speed in time with your heartbeat, and it is therefore important that your heart rate is reasonably controlled. To do this, you may be given a short-acting beta blocker to help the heart slow down if your rate is too fast
After the scan
If you have been given a beta blocker, you will be taken to an area to rest and your heart rate monitored to ensure it has returned to normal before you go home. If no beta blocker has been used, you will be asked to remain in the department until the Radiographer has checked that you’re feeling comfortable enough to go home. It is important that you maintain your fluid intake and stay well hydrated following the scan.
How long does the scan take?
The CT Coronary Angiogram will last approximately 40 minutes, but please allow 1–2 hours in the department for your appointment.
When will the scan be reported?
Your scans will be reported by a Consultant Radiologist and made available to your referring Consultant/GP routinely within 48 hours.
What is a CT (Computed Tomography) scan?
A CT scan produces detailed cross-sectional images (like slices in a loaf of bread) through the area of the body under investigation. The parts of the body can be shown in much greater detail than in standard X-ray films and are frequently used to help diagnose or investigate a wide range of conditions and injuries.
The CT is an open scanner and is shaped like a doughnut. You will lie on a moveable bed and pass through the ‘doughnut.’ A narrow, fan-shaped beam of X-rays is produced from inside the machine, which rotates 360 degrees around you. The X-rays pass through your body and are detected by electronic sensors on the other side of the machine. The information from the machine then passes to a computer, which produces a picture of the structure of the inside of your body.
