About The Cardiac CT Scan

What is Cardiac CT?
A CT scan is an x-ray procedure, which combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views of the body. Cardiac CT uses advanced CT technology with or without intravenous iodine-based contrast to visualize cardiac anatomy, including the coronary arteries and great vessels. To this end, Indus health plus uses state-of-the-art multi-detector CT systems with multi-detector scanning; it is possible to acquire high-resolution three-dimensional images of the heart and great vessels.

Cardiac CT is especially useful in evaluating the myocardium, coronary arteries, pulmonary veins, thoracic aorta, pericardium, and cardiac masses, such as thrombus of the left atrial appendage.

 

 

 

 

Why a Cardiac CT?
The past 18 months have brought a wave of advances in cardiac imaging, leading many doctors to wonder whether it's time to change the way they diagnose and treat heart disease. Leading the way is improvements in CT (for computed tomography) scanning, which uses highly specialized X-ray machines to take multiple, finely layered pictures of the heart and surrounding blood vessels. Sophisticated computer programs sort the data to generate amazingly detailed, three-dimensional images. (Please read on the Times cover story link).

What it means is that millions of patients will probably get the treatment that better matches their condition. Some doctors are already starting to use the scans to figure out which of their otherwise healthy-seeming patients need to be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins, and may even be able to decide what to do in marginal cases without having to resort to an invasive angiogram. Patients with a clean scan, on the other hand, can feel confident that they don't need statins or other medication, along with their potential side effects.

The ultimate goal, cardiologists say, is to find the single test that provides "one-stop shopping" and eliminates the need for invasive or multiple diagnostic scans. That test doesn't exist yet, but a look at the latest advances in noninvasive imaging suggests it is getting closer.

New cardiac imaging methods such as Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) are allowing physicians to take a closer look at the heart and great vessels at little risk to the patient.

Am I at risk?

RISK FACTORS for CARDIAC DISEASE

• High blood pressure (greater than 140/90)
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol (undiagnosed or untreated - greater than 200mg/dl)
• Family history of heart disease
• Cigarette smoking
• Sedentary lifestyle (exercise less than three times a week)
• Overweight by 20% or more
• High stress lifestyle
• Age: Men over 35 years old; Women over 40 years old
• People with three or more of the risk factors listed above may be at increased risk for heart disease

Is CT cardiac test NEEDED?

Clinical risk factor assessment and stress testing are good prognostic indicators, but they cannot establish with absolute certainty the presence or absence of coronary artery disease.

The presence of risk factors does not always equal the presence of disease. And quite often
Stress test results are diagnostic or inconclusive.

Statistics show that...

Of an estimated 1 in 20 patients rushed to theemergency room due tochest pain 3% to 5% of myocardial infarctions are missed out by attending physicians.

An imaging test that could rapidly exclude:

• Significant coronary disease
  
• Also could reduce unnecessary invasive testing or incorrect diagnosis
  
• Help the critically ill patients with acute chest pain.

It could also provide direct visual evidence to patients and physicians to justify or to evaluate the long-term use of drugs such as statins for primary prevention in situations in which the risks and potential benefits are clear.

Patients who experience symptoms and have normal or equivocal stress results could still have coronary disease. This could be ascertained noninvasive with a Cardiac CT study. This revolution goes beyond the ability of visualizing noninvasively what previously could be seen only by invasive means.

More importantly using a CT, physicians could move away from determining “probability” to establishing a definitive diagnosis of the disease that remains the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases according to WHO study:

• Cardiovascular diseases account for 16.7 million
  Or 29.2 % of total global deaths.
  
• Asians are more prone to heart disease
  
• Risk of heart attack among young Indians 12-15
  times higher.
  
• By 2012, half the heart patients in the world
  Could be in India.

Indus health plus uses Multi-slice CT scan technology to obtain a series of pictures of your heart. This test is included in the comprehensive package offered by Indus health plus.

The appointment is fixed as per your convenience. You will get to see the pictures taken of your heart at the time of your exam and a report explaining your results will be delivered to you on the same day.

The specialist doctor attached to Sahyadhri hospital is available for consultation and expert advice.

Why Should I Have My CT scan test at Indus health plus?

• Value: Our pricing is extremely affordable.
  
• Dedicated Service: Our sole focus is outpatient imaging, which allows us to minimize patient waiting and streamline the scanning process.
  
• Exceptional Quality: Our Multi-detector CT technology allows for rapid scanning which provides the same results as electron beam CT scanners.
  
• The Indus health plus Difference: At Indus health plus, we realize that there is more to patient care than just technology. That is why we are fortunate to have a highly experienced and caring staff who are committed to making sure that you or your family member are treated in a professional and compassionate manner. From our front office staff, to our nurses, technologists and physicians, everyone who is a part of Indus health plus is committed to helping find answers through scanning and thus saving lives…………….