Cardiac CT Angiography (CTA)
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Usually, people think of invasive procedures like cardiac catherization when it comes to diagnosing coronary artery disease or CAD. Doctors literally have to open up the artery to see if it is blocked. Even worse, doctors often treat the symptoms of heart disease, such as high cholesterol and family history, without knowing if artery disease really exists. Why? Because finding out is invasive, expensive, and even dangerous. Until now, that is.
What is CTA?
Cardiac CT Angiography (CTA) is a non-invasive procedure that uses advanced technology to diagnose coronary artery disease with out operating on the patient. The technique has been discussed in Time Magazine and on the Oprah show just in the past few months.
CTA lets doctors quickly see the coronary arteries and chambers of the heart. The doctor injects a small amount of dye into a vein in the patient's arm and then a CT scan of the chest is done in about 10 seconds. The scan is completely painless and the patient does not even have to take off their shirt.
Quick, Easy, and the Doctor Sees More
This technology, called 64 Slice Computed Tomography lets doctors identify coronary artery disease quickly and easily, and without invasive surgeries or cutting. The doctor can easily see blockages in the arteries. In addition, the scan shows the thickness of the artery wall, something which can not be seen with a cardiac catheterization, along with any narrowing of the inside of the artery. And, CTA detects plaque in the arteries that is often missed with catheterization, too. In fact, this procedure is so precise it can rule out the 5 or 6 major causes of death from chest pain.
What is CAD?
CAD is the leading cause of death in the USA. It comes from a build-up of fatty materials inside the arteries. This build-up comes from cholesterol and other natural products that flow through the blood, which can stick to artery the walls and over time harden into a plaque. The plaque narrows the artery, reducing blood flow. CTA can show exactly where the arteries are blocked, and gives the doctor many more treatment options for cardiac patients.
Where is the Technology Available?
Unfortunately, this High Definition 64 Slice CTA technology is only available in a handful of medical centers around the world. However, as more study shows its advantages, it seems certain more centers are bound to adopt the new method.
A Technical Study
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology created a clinical study that offered data obtained by a team of physicians from the William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. Their study, led by Dr. Gilbert Raff, compared rapid CT angiography using the 64-slice machine to the traditional method of diagnosing CAD – catheterization. In more than 1,000 scans of coronary segments from 70 patients, CTA predicated the results of invasive catheterization in nearly 95 percent of the cases. And, CTA is able to detect the presence of coronary artery disease that catheterization and stress tests often miss. Millions of Americans are walking around with asymptomatic non-obstructive disease. The CTA detects asymptomatic non-obstructive disease, which would never be identified by traditional stress testing.
So, CTA technology is on the cutting-edge, and it may be coming to a medical center near you. Ask your doctor about CTA, and urge your local hospitals to purchase the equipment so everyone in your community can have a healthier, happier life.
