by Steve Fannin, MD, NEOCS Cardiologist. Excerpts from article published in April 2007, MD News Magazine

When a cardiologist needed to look at the arteries in the heart is was usually done with a heart catheterization, an invasive procedure that was expensive and posed some risks. Today we have another option--coronary CT angiography (CCTA) using the 64-slice CT scanner. This procedure can be done in about 30 minutes and the patient can return to usual activities immediately.

Coronary CTA is widely considered one of the most reliable noninvasive modalities available to evaluate heart disease. There is excellent visualization of the cardiac structures, including small coronary arteries.

With the IV dye, coronary arteries can show plaque in an early stage (soft plaque) as well as advanced CAD (calcified plaque).

Patients with typical or atypical symptoms have the opportunity for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. This allows for earlier intervention with more conservative treatment options:

• aspirin therapy
• antihypertensive therapy
• cholesterol-lowering therapy
• smoking cessation
• lifestyle changes

This early intervention may reduce the risk of future cardiac events as well as possibly avoiding more invasive & costly interventions such as heart catheterizations, angioplasty (with or without stents) and bypass surgery.