Heart Part 2
The classic cardiac catheterization has been brought
into question in recent years. In 1991 a little more
than 200,000 examinations of the coronary arteries
(coronary angiographies) were performed, while in 2001,
there were over 600,000. Studies have shown that the
catheter was far too often used in healthy hearts (in
fact 40% of cases) - which of course was only discovered
after the.
The cardiac catheterization is an invasive method, in
which a long thin catheter is inserted through a
puncture of a major artery of the extremities up into
the coronary vessels.
This not only requires some skill of the examiner but is
also associated with longer fluoroscopic times.
Furthermore, this can lead to bleeding from the needle
tract, to a vessel wall injury, to the relief of clots,
and much more.
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So far, the coronary vessels could only be reliably
analyzed by the heart catheter and now the MDCT arises
as a potent competitor.
The MSCT can actually replace the catheter for a
majority of patients who do not meet the guidelines of
the ACC / AHA (stable angina pectoris while climbing
stairs on one floor, pathological exercise ECG,
ultrasound, or scintigraphy). The MSCT is able to
present the relevant first 2/3 of the coronary arteries
with high resolution. That method can be called "virtual
cardiac catheterization”. Here, too, X-rays and a
contrast agent are required, but no arterial puncture
and no heart catheter is necessary.
Puncturing a vein in your arm (just like taking a blood
sample) is very simple and is considered as a very low
risk.
Application of MSCT at the heart are:
- Coronary calcium score
- Coronary CT angiography (virtual cardiac
catheterization)
- Bypass CT angiography (after bypass surgery)
- Large heart vessels (aorta and pulmonary
vessels).
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