Cardiac CT

Contrast-enhanced cardiac CT (coronary CT angiography) for non-invasive assessment of coronary artery anatomy, atherosclerotic plaque, cardiac structure, and function. LUX MED Diagnostyka's cardiac CT page covers post-MI scarring, coronary narrowing, structural defects, aortic aneurysm, and cardiomyopathy — positioning it as the non-invasive alternative to conventional coronary angiography. Physician referral required.

Cardiac CT at Enel-Med Warsaw is performed through the LUX MED Diagnostyka programme, which explicitly positions cardiac CT ('tomografia komputerowa serca') as a high-capability, non-invasive alternative to conventional coronary angiography (koronarografia). The LUX MED clinical content notes that cardiac CT 'umożliwia dokładne badanie struktury i funkcji serca' — enables accurate examination of cardiac structure and function — using the scanner's rotating X-ray source to build a three-dimensional image of the heart and coronary vasculature. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is the most information-rich cardiac CT study, requiring ECG-synchronised acquisition during a breath-hold after IV contrast injection timed to opacify the coronary arteries. Modern 64-slice and above CT systems can resolve coronary artery segments as small as 1.5–2 mm in diameter and detect stenoses of 50% or greater with high sensitivity and very high negative predictive value. The examination is performed with heart-rate optimisation — typically targeting below 65 beats per minute using beta-blockade pre-medication — and nitroglycerin sublingual spray to maximise coronary vessel dilatation and image quality. The clinical indications listed by LUX MED for cardiac CT include: — **Post-infarction assessment:** scarring patterns and ventricular wall motion abnormality after myocardial infarction, particularly when cardiac MRI is contraindicated (metal implants, claustrophobia) — **Coronary artery disease:** stenosis detection in symptomatic patients with low-intermediate pre-test probability, anomalous coronary anatomy, and coronary artery disease in planned non-cardiac surgery — **Structural heart disease:** assessment of atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, valvular morphology, and great vessel abnormalities — **Aortic disease:** thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection, including planning for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) — **Cardiomyopathy:** identifying features of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and inflammatory cardiomyopathy Preparation for cardiac CT: patients are advised not to consume caffeine for 12–24 hours before the examination (caffeine elevates heart rate). Beta-blocker pre-medication may be administered on the day if the resting heart rate exceeds 65 bpm. Fasting for four hours from solid food and two hours from fluids is required for contrast administration. A recent serum creatinine result must be brought to confirm renal function. Patients on thyroid medication or with thyroid disease should bring a TSH result. The non-invasive nature of cardiac CT distinguishes it clearly from conventional coronary angiography, which requires arterial catheterisation, carries a small but non-negligible procedural risk, and typically requires a day-case hospital admission. Cardiac CT is a true outpatient examination completed in approximately 45 minutes including preparation, with no recovery time and no arterial access complications. The LUX MED network's cardiology and radiology departments work collaboratively to interpret results and guide clinical pathways after cardiac CT.