Two advanced methods of providing very high quality three-dimensional views of the heart are Coronary CT Angiography and Cardiac MRI. Your doctor may use these imaging scans to help diagnose your condition.
Coronary CT Angiography
Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) or cardiac CT, is a painless test that uses an x-ray machine to take clear, detailed pictures of your heart. It’s a common test for showing problems of the heart. During a cardiac CT scan, the x-ray machine will move around your body in a circle and take a picture of each part of your heart.
Because an x-ray machine is used, cardiac CT scans involve radiation. However, the amount of radiation used is small. This test gives out a radiation dose similar to the amount of radiation you’re naturally exposed to over three years. Each picture that the machine takes shows a small slice of the heart. A computer will put the pictures together to make a large picture of the whole heart. Sometimes an iodine-based dye is injected into one of your veins during the scan to help highlight blood vessels and arteries on the x-ray images.
Coronary CTA is a non-invasive alternative to traditional angiography that offers more detailed images of heart function, resulting in faster, more accurate diagnosis. It helps determine cardiac risk in patients with low to intermediate likelihood of coronary artery disease. For some patients with chest pain, Coronary CTA can rule out the need for cardiac catheterization.
Cardiac MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe, noninvasive test that creates detailed images of your organs and tissues. MRI uses radio waves and magnets to create images of your organs and tissues. Unlike cardiac CT scans or conventional X-rays, MRI imaging doesn’t use ionizing radiation.
Cardiac MRI uses a computer to create images of your heart as it is beating, producing both still and moving pictures of your heart and major blood vessels. Doctors use cardiac MRI to get images of the beating heart and to look at the structure and function of the heart. These images can help them decide how best to treat patients with heart problems.
To schedule a diagnostic imaging procedure, call 253-426-6620. To learn more about our diagnostic imaging services, click here.
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