Cardiac CTA Technology
Inova
Heart and Vascular Institute is pleased to offer 64-channel cardiac CTA
scanning technology at three Inova locations in Northern Virginia: Inova
Fairfax Hospital, Inova Loudoun Hospital and Inova Mount Vernon Hospital.
This new advanced system allows us to image smaller structures three dimensionally, providing greater detail in even the most challenging applications. With cardiac CTA technology, physicians can obtain the information they need to diagnose disease and life-threatening illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and chest pain.
CTA technology produces clearer images for a more accurate diagnosis. It also is faster and more convenient for our patients. Skilled physicians are now able to capture the image of any organ in one second, scan the whole body in fewer than 10 seconds, and capture images of the heart and coronary arteries in fewer than five heartbeats – something no other CT system can offer. This speed is especially helpful for geriatric patients who can only hold their breath for short periods of time, patients on ventilators and pediatric patients.
Patient InformationWhat is a CT exam?
CT is an abbreviation for computed tomography, a valuable diagnostic medical
exam that combines X-rays and sophisticated computers. Often called CAT
scans, CT scans have been performed successfully for almost 30 years.
| Patient Benefits • Diagnostic option for the workup of a cardiac patient • Faster patient exams – capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, a single organ in one second, and perform whole body trauma in ten seconds • Less time needed for breath holds, which can mean less stress for the patient • Breathing lights help coach patients through breath holds – making it an easier exam |
What should I expect?
A CT technologist will escort you into the VCT scanning room where you’ll
see a table and a large, doughnut-shaped device called a gantry. The technologist
will have you lie down on the padded table and make sure you’re
comfortable. You’ll be asked to lie very still during the scan and
hold your breath for a very short time to minimize any body movement.
During the scan, you might hear a humming noise, but you will not feel anything unusual. You may feel the table move while images are being taken at certain locations of your body. The technologist will monitor you during the entire exam through a window and can communicate with you through an intercom. The specific details of your examination will be explained fully by a VCT technologist or your physician.
How long will the exam take?
The actual scan portion of the exam takes only a few seconds. You will
be asked to stay still and hold your breath as the VCT scanner acquires
the images of your body. Depending on the specific exam, the entire exam
may take up to 45 minutes, as the physician reviews the images and makes
a diagnosis.
Are IVs or shots involved?
Depending on the exam, a solution called “contrast” may be
administered with an IV to help improve the accuracy of the examination.
Because of this, it is very important to let your doctor know beforehand
if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to contrast, or if you have
any other allergies, especially an allergy to iodine-based products or
shellfish. In addition, the technologist may hook you up to an ECG monitor.
What happens after the exam?
The physician will carefully analyze your VCT images, review the findings
with your physician and provide a report. Your physician will then discuss
the results with you.
How safe are VCT examinations?
CT
Scans are an effective diagnostic procedure. In fact, nearly 50 million
VCT exams are performed in the United States every year. Like many other
radiology imaging technologies, CT has been cleared by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration. The 64-channel VCT has been designed with dose reduction
features that minimize patients’ exposure to radiation.The profession
is supported by the American Registry of Radiology Technologists (ARRT),
providing education, certification and registry of radiologic technologists.
This helps to ensure that the people involved in your care are professionals
who can safely operate the VCT scanner, and obtain the best images to
assist your doctor in making an accurate diagnosis.
Why have a CT scan?
CT exams are performed when people are ill or injured, or when a doctor
suspects a medical problem that cannot be detected easily with a routine
physical examination. CT is also used to rapidly obtain specific diagnostic
information that hasn’t been provided by other imaging technologies,
such as ultrasound, traditional X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
If you have any questions concerning your exam, please talk with your
physician.
