Heart Care

There is no special preparation needed prior to the scan.

• No intravenous access
• No fasting
• No injections
• No stoppage of medications
• No dye
• You will be required to remove your clothes above your waist and wear a hospital gown
• You will be required to remove any jewelry around your neck/chest

The Scan

• You will lie on the CT scan table with a few sticky patches attached to your chest to record electrical activity of the heart.
• The table will slide into the scanner.
• will be asked to hold your breath so the CT technologist can get clear images of the heart
• The actual scan will take about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Your total time commitment will be approximately 30 to 60 minutes, including registration, preparation and completion of the test.

After the Procedure

• You will be free to resume your normal activities.
• The coronary calcium score is obtained from the images and converted to a percentile rank which calculates your personal risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD).

Results
Your results will be sent to your referring physician or discussed with you at the time of your appointment.


Back to St. Luke's Heart Scan