Imaging

Heart Scans

Methodist Health System offers cardiac scoring and coronary computed tomography angiograms (coronary CTA).

Cardiac scoring measures plaque in the arteries of your heart and determines a score. The score will indicate your level of risk for heart disease and be used as a benchmark for future follow-up. If the exam chosen by you includes a CT Angiogram of your coronary arteries (see below), the radiologist will evaluate the arteries of your heart for both soft and hard plaque

Coronary CTA is a method of visualizing the coronary arteries by the use of X-rays with computerized images.

Beams of X-rays are passed through the areas of interest in your body from several different angles images as you pass through a large open ring to create cross-sectional images. These images are then reassembled by a computer into a three-dimensional picture of the area being studied.

This new technology has consistently shown the ability to rule out significant narrowing of the major coronary arteries with high accuracy. It can also evaluate if there are blockages in heart by-pass grafts and arteries that have had stents placed in them.