[ November 29, 2023 ] Piedmont Mountainside Hospital now offers Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA), also known as cardiac CT angiogram.

Providing detailed pictures of the heart and the blood vessels with CT angiography, a contrast dye is used to make the blood vessels easier to see any narrowing or blockages within the vessels, looking at the heart and the area around the heart.

The procedure may be ordered to help find the cause of chest pains or other symptoms of heart disease. During a CT angiogram, the contrast dye is injected into the blood vessels in the area to be checked. A CT scanner then takes detailed pictures of the heart and the surrounding area.

A CCTA allows the health care provider to see how well blood is flowing to and from the heart. The health care provider will be able to see if there are any problems, such as:

❖ Blockage or narrowing of the coronary arteries
❖ Fluid around the heart
❖ Evaluating blood clot in the heart

"With cardiovascular disease being the single leading cause of death in Georgia, it's important that we offer local access and convenience for CCTA," said Denise Ray, CEO at Piedmont Mountainside. "When we have the opportunity to diagnose cardiovascular issues early, there's a much better chance for positive patient outcomes."

CCTA provides the cardiologist with another noninvasive way to evaluate the coronary arteries. Other noninvasive cardiology procedures include treadmill stress tests, nuclear medicine stress tests and stress echocardiography. A CCTA may be used in conjunction with these tests or in lieu of these tests to help best evaluate the patient's coronary arteries.

A CCTA may reveal the need for further evaluation of the patient's coronary arteries with a more invasive procedure, such as cardiac catheterization.

A physician order is required for CCTA and patients should be evaluated to determine if CCTA is appropriate. Your cardiologist can determine if you're a candidate for CCTA and schedule the procedure at Piedmont Mountainside.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit piedmont.org.