What do you mean by a cardiac cath? aren't angiogram and cardiac cath the same thing?
Unfortunately, I made an error in first post...I do know the difference between angioplasty and an angiogram. I tried to make a corrrection in my second post and inartfully referred specifically to just an angiogram (cath vs. CT scan). Prit's father had had a CT angiogram and now the doctor wanted to do a cath angiogram.
A calcium score can help RISK stratify you for major cardiac events over the long term, but it DOES not tell you specifics about the extent of your current blockages. A CT angiogram or a cath angiogram can do that--cath is still the gold standard.
Recommendations for asymptomatic individuals based on their coronary calcium sore can be summarized as follows. Calcium scores of 0 identify individuals in the "lowest-risk" group with 10 year risk for cardiac events less than 5%.
Not to be critical as I beleive Lutheran meant to say cath angiogram. Both cath or CT angiogram use contract dye to view perfusion, and that procedure is the definition of angiogram.
A CT scan 64/128 views the anatomy of the 4 main heart vessels and will show any soft plaque between the linings of the vessel as well as any plaque buildup in the lumen. The cath angiogram views the lumen for the plaque that narrows and obstructs blood flow causing angina (chest pain).
I'm having a CT angiogram Thursday. It avoids an interventional procedure that has some risk. X-ray exposture presents some risk for cancer, but my non-interventional cardiologist feels a CT angiogram is sufficient and I'm not disputing his recommendation. I had a cath angiogram and a stent 4 years ago, there was no problem as I was in a hospital setting for 3-4 days. However, some people experience a bleeding problem at the site of the cath insertion and pain that lasts several days.
If you really want to know how your heart is, you need to have a cardiac cath. The other tests do not even come close to what the cath will find out. Medication alone is not enough if you have plugged arteries. If you only have a few plugged, stents can be placed to keep the artery open. The cath is really not that bad and well worth it. You do not want to end up having a heart attack, which can happen even if you are on a beta blocker and statin.
Vessel occlusion can be identified by a CT angiogram or the invasive procedure by a cath angiogram. Neither test has 100% sensitivity rating, but quite good. Also an EKG can indicate ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart) that may be due to a vessel blockage.
Usually, the tests aren't given unless there is chest pain, shortness of breath, etc., but if there is a family history of CAD and heart problems the testing for plague occluding vessels may be appropriate.
The site provides a definition of cat scan calcium score and cat scan angiogram. I had a CC score and angiogram a couple of years ago. I believe the state-of-art for CAT has scans of 256 slices....provides more detail and sharper images.
I find the Mayo Clinic, Minn or Cleveland Clinic to be a good source for medical procedures, tests, dx, prognosis, etc.
A coronary angiogram by itself is often normal in people with microvascular angina (like Toni Braxton has), but a stress thallium shows perfusion defects and the EKG shows ischaemic changes with exercise because the heart is not perfusing adequately even though the blockage is not in the larger arteries that are seen on angiogram. Also coronary artery spasm can cause real cardiac pain and sometimes occurs in arteries that look normal on angiography.
one doctor said had small heart attack another said no, both top interventionals. a year later had echo and cath both normal. 2 weeks ago had echo that showed serious issues, ef 40-45 from 55-60 and multiple akinetic areas dr felt certain were from new blockage in an area that had been 50% previously. had cath TODAY and arteries are good, no progression, but there is reduced cardiac function and what amounts to systolic heart failure.
I had a cardiac cath 2 days ago. The next morning I removed my dressing in the shower as instructed and felt fine, slight tenderness to the site. As I was trying to put my clothes on, I lifted my right leg and I had a "popping sensation" to my right groin that took me to the ground and I blacked out. I finally made it to the phone, called triage and they sent me to the ER.
surgeon diagnosed a 70% blockage at the main branch of my left anterior descending artery. Upon followup, my cardiologist read the same xray and diagnosed 50% blockage. Second angiogram (2 years later): the surgeon diagnosed 30% blockage in the same area. Third angiogram: surgeon reported that there was no arterial blockage. I have just been discharged from a cardiac unit after 24 hours of observation due to chest pain. I did not have an angiogram.
Ok. Four years ago my dad got a Calcium scoring CT. It said his score was 3000. He was already on statins and aspirin and had been for years. He's had no symptoms until recently. He is just getting SOB with minor activities. He's been active and gone to the gym since he was a teen. He is very scared and has been thinking the worst for years. He's going in for a cath this week. Should he be worried?? He doesn't think he'll make it through the scan. He is that scared.
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.
A false positive cardiac stress test may increase the number of expensive, unnecessary cardiac catheterization procedures and their associated required hospital stay and added anxiety, discomfort and medical risk for the patient. The significant number of false negatives from stress echocardiography tests may increase the risk of heart attacks and sudden death from undetected advanced coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or successful earlier intervention in early stages of CAD.
My husband was advised to have a heart cath based on ECG findings. He is 71 yo, non smoker, n/l cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure is normal. No family history of heart disease. Heavy drinker 3-4 days week.
This discussion is related to <a href="/posts/Heart-Disease/Hypercholesterolemia-vs-Hyperlipidemia/show/867414">Hypercholesterolemia vs. Hyperlipidemia</a>.
That's what I was trying to say before: CT-A will identify "soft" as well as "hard" plaque. If you indeed had a CT-A they should not have given you just a Calcium Score. However, a regular CT-Scan will give you only a Calcium Score because no contrast medium is being used. It is basically an X-Ray and can only see the Calcium. Your 80% blockage was entirely caused by "soft" plaque, not being identifiable by a CT-SCan.
I am 33 years old, 6 foot and 175 lbs and athletic. I went to the ER for chest discomforst for the third time in a year yesterday (4/10) was admitted and released today (4/11). I have had a CAT Scan, numerouse chest x-rays, ekg's and blood cardiac enzym tests all of which were normal. I have also had a abdominal ultrasound, echo and CT Angoigram which were also normal.
My cardiologist ordered a nuclear stress test on March 15, 2011 and conveyed everything looked fine. I have been sick since the intial cath and am very worried that something was missed or there is a problem with the stent (bare metal stent) not certain why they did not insert a medically induced. This Thursday, I am scheduled to have a second cath, this time a radial procedure--through the arm as I had complications with the last.
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