How is the CT Angiogram Procedure Performed?
A patient is asked to drink only water before the CT angiogram procedure. Upon arrival at the CT scanner, the patient will be asked to remove any metal objects from their body. The patient will be asked if they have any allergies, which may be important as one of the risks of CT angiography heart scans is an allergic reaction to contrast material. A physician or assistant will then place an IV into a peripheral vein, usually in the patients forearm. The patient is then brought to the CT scanner. Before the exam, a dose of contrast agent is administered into the IV. This ensures that the arteries will stand out when the physician reads the scan. The patient will then lay down on the CT table, and the scan will begin. During the CT scan, the scanner will rotate around the patient and take a large number of x-ray images. These x-ray images are then sent to a computer. Because the x-ray images are taken from a variety of angles, the computer is able to put them together and create a 3-dime
