Presbyterian Hospital of Denton is on the forefront of cardiac diagnostic imaging and is pleased to be one of only two hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to offer the most advanced cardiac diagnostic imaging tool available.  The revolutionary 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner provides patients the fastest and least invasive method of coronary angiogram. 

A 64-slice coronary CT angiogram (CCTA) is a faster, less invasive diagnostic tool to identify coronary artery disease.  Compared to traditional diagnostic tools including Nuclear Medicine Scans and Cardiac Stress Tests, the CCTA is able to show physicians a 3-D high-definition image of the heart and provide more conclusive results to see if a patient will need further treatment.  During a 64-slice CCTA, the CT scans the heart and captures 192 images per second, which are then reconstructed to create an image of the heart, including the arteries.  Because it only requires 10 minutes to perform and has no recovery time needed, it is also the quickest method available for patients who need to diagnose coronary artery disease.

Patients should consider this procedure if they meet the following criteria:

• A family history of heart disease
• Elevated calcium plaque score from a heart scan
• Are a current or former smoker
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity or were obese
• Diabetes