Coronary CTA

Your physician may recommend a Coronary CTA if you may be at increased risk of having heart disease or have symptoms that may be due to heart disease, including: high cholesterol, indeterminate results on a stress test, chest pain or other signs of stenosis. This test is typically recommended if you have any early symptoms—allowing you to avoid unnecessary catheterizations and tests with higher radiation dosages like traditional and nuclear stress tests.

During a Coronary CTA, the scans generate high-resolution images of your heart and blood vessels, showing blockages that may lead to a heart attack. Unlike noninvasive heart screening tests, like Calcium Scoring, this test can accurately show both calcified and soft cholesterol plaques in your arteries, and determine the presence and severity of blood flow obstruction. Soft plaques are the most common cause of heart attacks and are not detectable by other noninvasive screening tests. Prior to this test, only an invasive and expensive cardiac catheterization could show this level of detail.

Fairfax Radiology was one of the earliest sites in the region to offer Coronary CTA, and to date has performed tens of thousands of these tests. Our Radiologists all meet accreditation for reading Coronary CTA. 

This test is relatively quick and painless. You will be given complete preparation instructions prior to the test. On the day of your Coronary CTA, you may be given medication to lower your heart rate if needed. Electrodes (small, sticky discs) will be placed on your chest and are connected to a machine (electrocardiograph or ECG) that will read your heart's electrical activity during the exam. You will be given an injection of a contrast agent and will lie faceup on the scanner table. You will be asked to hold your breath several times for 10-20 seconds each time as the table moves through the CT scanning machine, capturing images that will be loaded into a computer to create a 3D rendering of your heart. The Technologist will be in the adjacent room operating the scanner, but will be able to hear and communicate with you throughout the exam.

After your Coronary CTA, you can go about your normal activities. Your physician will receive a comprehensive report interpreted by one of our board certified Radiologists. Any abnormalities or areas of plaque build-up will be clearly identified and your physician will discuss the results with you, along with a treatment plan if needed.

Contact our Scheduling Department for an appointment:

Phone: 703.698.4488 Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm

Fax: 703.698.0864

Or click here to make an appointment request

Please have your written physician order and your insurance card in hand when making your appointment.

For your convenience, appointments are available at our Prosperity Imaging Center location. Click on the link for hours and information about this location.