PET/CT MRI CT Coronary CT Angio X-Ray Flouroscopy Nuclear Medicine Bone Density Ultrasound Dental Imaging Biopsies CT Myelograms PRP East River Fifth Avenue Sutton Place Musculoskeletal Therapies

New Feature!

On-Line Referral Form

Please upgrade to the latest version of Flash Player.

Click here if you already have Flash Player installed.

Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)

East River Medical Imaging offers Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) utilizing the 64-Channel GE Volume CT (VCT).

Benefits of VCT:

  • 20% faster rotation time than any other 64-Channel CT
  • Superior to any other 64-Channel CT scanner on the market
  • Superior temporal, spatial and contrast resolution improving vascular clarity and decreased artifact from calcium
  • Superior evaluation of post-op patients (stents & grafts)
  • Experienced Cardiac Radiologists

This exciting technology is a technique giving a 3D, non invasive, 360° examination of the coronary arteries. CTA not only allows for the assessment of the arterial lumen (or the channel within the artery), but is also used to visualize the walls of the coronary arteries, demonstrating the presence of calcified and soft plaque or critical narrowing which could lead to a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

While the findings of Coronary Artery Calcification Screening (CACS) are limited to calcified atherosclerotic plaque, Coronary CTA (CCTA) is a more comprehensive exam whose findings are comparable to invasive coronary angiography.

Patients eligible for this exam must have a risk factor for heart disease which includes:

  • Smoker or Former Smoker
  • Diabetes
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Post Menopausal
  • Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Family History of Heart Disease
  • Known Heart Disease
  • Known Vascular Disease

    • OR

  • Atypical chest pain
  • Evaluation of bypass grafts and stents

“In 2000, 1,500,000 coronary angiography procedures were performed in the US, 50% of which were diagnostic. Of those, 50% required no additional procedure.” – ACC/AHA Guidelines for Coronary Angiography, 1999, Scanlon and Faxon

“The rupture of a plaque will be the cause of death of about half of all of us in the United States.” - Dr. Steven Nissen, Cleveland Clinic.

East River Medical Imaging, PC has been leading the way in diagnostic technology for more than thirty years. For additional information about Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) offered at East River Medical Imaging on our 64-Channel Volume CT (VCT), please contact Katie Joanne Lovaas at 212.288.1575

What to Expect

The patient should be prepped as: no caffeine 12 hours prior to the exam (no caffeine in any form, including cola, black/green/white tea, and chocolate) and nothing to eat or drink (NPO) 4 hours prior. Please take required medication with as small amount of water as necessary. The patient should be prepared to list their medications. We will not scan a patient with “active chest pain.”. * Please see CCTA Patient Preparation section below for further details. The scan takes approximately ½ hour and is only done on our 64-Channel GE Volume CT (VCT) scanner. We ask that the patient arrive ½ hour before their scheduled appointment time.

Upon arrival and completion of paperwork, the patient will be taken to the back office by the technologist who will go over the patient’s medical history. The RN/radiologist will determine if IV beta blockers will be administered in addition to the beta blockers the patient took the prior evening and one hour before the exam. An IV line will be inserted in the arm around the inner elbow to administer the non-ionic contrast and/or additional beta blockers. The IV line is inserted prior to the patient going on the table to alleviate any added anxiety and increase in heart rate immediately before the study. The patient will be taken into the CT room and placed on the exam table. A 4 lead EKG will be attached to monitor their heart rate. After further instructions from the technologist the exam is performed.

After the study, the patient is instructed to drink plenty of fluids to help eliminate the contrast from the body. As with other CT studies, if the patient is diabetic and taking Glucophage, it must not be taken for 48 hours after the study. Also, patients who are breastfeeding, allergic to iodine, have multiple myeloma or have a history of kidney disease cannot undergo this study.

Preparation

Before the Study:

  • No Caffeine (in any form) 12 hours prior to the exam
  • Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours prior to the exam, please take required medication with a small amount of water if necessary
  • Prescription beta blockers may be given before arrival to stabilize the heart rate during the procedure (discuss with your referring physician)

Upon Arrival:

  • We ask that you arrive ½ hour prior to the study
  • An IV catheter will be placed in an appropriate vein as determined by the nurse/radiologist

During the Study:

  • We will attach a 4-lead EKG to monitor your heart rate
  • You will be given non-ionic contrast via IV catheter
  • You may be given IV beta blockers in conjunction with the oral beta blockers to lower heart rate

After the Study:

  • Be sure to drink plenty of fluids

Alerts:

  • No Glucophage (diabetic patients) 48 hours after injection

Contraindications:

  • Atrial fibrillation/Arrhythmia
  • Reactive airway disease/COPD/Asthma
  • Low cardiac output
  • Pacemaker/Defibrillator
  • History of severe contrast allergy with failure of premedication
  • Impaired renal function

back to top