Scan to Assess the Risk of Heart Attack

Dual-Source CT Heart Scan is a rapid non-invasive imaging technique of the heart. Using ultra-fast CT techniques, Heart-Scan can easily detect heart disease at its earliest stages before symptoms develop. This is done by imaging calcium deposits in the coronary arteries (also known as – Coronary Artery Calcium scanning), which represents the ‘fatty’ or cholesterol like substance that ultimately block up the coronary circulation.

New State of the Art Scan to Avoid Invasive Angiogram

Dual-Source CT Coronary Angiogram (DS-CTA) is a non-invasive way to detect blockages in or narrowing of the coronary arteries. DS-CT (dual-source CT) is the latest technology that allows the dual-headed CT scanner to spin rapidly to acquire images of the moving heart within 7-15 seconds, thus ‘freezing’ the movement of the heart. DS-CTA does not require beta-blocker drugs to slow the heart down, as required by other CT scanners. This non-invasive, rapid and painless method is an alternative to invasive coronary angiography which requires local anaesthetic and an invasive procedure. DS-CTA is used to direct management of patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging or Scanning

Is an established and accurate technique used to evaluate the extent of heart disease. Under normal circumstances the coronary arteries supply oxygen to the heart muscles. When these arteries become blocked or narrowed, the heart may not receive enough blood flow (which carries oxygen and nutrients) leading to chest pain or breathlessness. MPI or MPS is a widely accepted non-invasive method for detection of cardiac risk and extent of disease. The newly installed hybrid gamma camera + CT scanner (SPECT-CT) (Symbia T6, Siemens) improves localization of heart disease using an evolving new technique of ‘image-fusion’.

Dual-Source CT Lung Scan

Dual-Source CT Lung Scanning is used to detect abnormalities in the lung. The special CT scanner images the lung in very thin sections in just one breath hold. Using this revolutionary technology, it is possible to detect growths and lung nodules as small as two to five millimeters, much smaller than can be seen with conventional chest X-ray.

Nuclear Medicine

The installation of the new hybrid gamma camera + CT scanner (SPECT-CT) (Symbia T6, Siemens) allows simultaneous non-invasive scanning of radiotracer uptake with accurate localization by the CT scanner. This is not possible with standard gamma cameras. Nuclear Medicine techniques are used in a wide range of diseases: for example, to detect cancer, tumours, sports injury, heart disease, lung embolism, localize infection, brain scans, kidney function, liver disease, thyroid disease and a host of other tests. Image-fusion allows accurate localization of disease, such as cancer, infection or sports injury.