The Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute website has a lot of good info on the Coronary CTA vs. catheter angiography.
A nuclear stress test is about 85% accurate in finding CAD whereas a angiogram is 100% accurate. The angiogram also carries a 1 - 3% risk of complications, the most common risk, although very rare, is having an artery dissected during the procedure which results in emergency bypass surgery. Having said that, if I was told I needed one I would do it without hesitation. It is the gold standard of heart tests to determine if CAD is present.
You better check with your doctors, I am not sure about the potential damage due to the radiation dose that you will take during the procedure.
Also if they discover blockages in your coronaries, I do not know about the risk of the medication that you will need.
My mother angiography report is given below. She is 56 years old. Your expert opinion is required:
CORONARY ARTERIOGRAPHY:
Left Coronary Artery:
Left Main Stem: Normal Bifurcating vessel
Left Circumflex Artery:
Tight promimal stenosis followed by total mid occlusion. Distal vessel no visualized.
Left Circumflex Artery:
Mild generalizex diffuse disease.
Hi, a CT angiogram is noninvasive as compared to the traditional angiogram and is usually the preferred mode of investigation. CT angiograms will expose you to a small amount of radiation. If you have known coronary artery disease, a traditional coronary angiogram may be a better option, since you can also receive treatment for your artery blockages during a traditional coronary angiogram.
He was suggested for salbitrate and got relief. He was advised by a cardiologist for angiography and was given some medication, which made him more dizziness, feeling of nausea and headache. After two days my father got incautious for a minute and was taken to another cardiologist, who advised for echo and convinced us not to worry. In echo there were only two impressions: 1. Diastolic relaxations abnormally and 2. mitral trivial regugation. and some medicines were advised.
My Grandmother has been detected with a blockage in heart, and its not getting well by the use of medicines.
Her Doctor is suggesting Angiography now.
Her age is 81 by now. I wanted to take other Doctors opinion about this case.
I had a heart attack almost 2 months ago on 9th of November 2013. I was given SK injection. I went for Angiography on 21st November 2013 who's report is mentioned Below.
You are almost the first person I have heard of to have a CT angiography. I asked my Dr. for one and he said it's better to have an actual Angiogram. (I suspect because there may not be a CT or a
competent reader of same here! ) It seems like most of us have problems with the RCA. How is the score of 11 rated? What will Dr.
do for you? Sounds like a pretty reasonable score. But what do I know!
He was undergone a Treadmill test, a few weeks ago and the Doctor observed borderline positive Treadmill Test and suggested an Angiography. He undergone Angiogram a couple of days ago and the report said that the Right Coronary Artery is 100% blocked. According to the Cardiologist, who performed Angiography, the blockage is old. But, my father has no pain (Angina), no fatigue and other common symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease. He’s perfectly alright.
He was undergone a Treadmill test, a few weeks ago and the Doctor observed borderline positive Treadmill Test and suggested an Angiography. He undergone Angiogram a couple of days ago and the report said that the Right Coronary Artery is 100% blocked. According to the Cardiologist, who performed Angiography, the blockage is old. But, my father has no pain (Angina), no fatigue and other common symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease. He’s perfectly alright.
The right artery is blocked however the angiogram and CT angiogram contradict each other. One says the blockage is at the top, the other says the blockage is in the middle. Personally, I would believe the angiography report because this has seen retrograde filling and it makes more sense. Your right artery then is blocked near the top, but the vessel is being fed by natural bypasses from the left side.
Angiography after the stress test, echo, etc. in all likelihood is to do stent implant. The stress test involves viewing the perfusion of blood flow (contrast agent injected), and apparently there was some vessel occlusions that effected blood flow. The perfusion is viewed with exertion and at rest.
I have exactly the same symptoms as you. I have also had every test possible (except angiogram), all negative. My cardio's have all told me that it is related to stress and to try to relax. I have never been told about caridac X syndrome or prinzmental's eventhough I believe my symptoms fall into these categories. I do not know of any other tests that we could have, but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone out there.
The doctors immediately referred him for catheter angiography. Instead we took him back home on medication and got a 128-slice CT Angio done. Attaching the results and report. Please suggest what should be done next and what precautions need to be taken?
If you can afford the angiogram, by all means, have it done. As reported, it is the gold test. Why not establish a baseline, or determine what might be a question?
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