Coronary CT + Calcium Score

Combined cardiac CT package — coronary calcium scoring plus CT coronary angiography — on the GE Revolution Maxima with dedicated cardiac applications. Published price: 2,900 RON (~€580), one of the lowest in Bucharest's private hospital market.

The cardiac CT package at Spitalul Medicover Pipera combines the coronary calcium score with CT coronary angiography in a single appointment on the GE HealthCare Revolution Maxima scanner. The Revolution Maxima is equipped with dedicated cardiac CT applications that standardise the acquisition protocol for cardiac-gated imaging, automate heart rate preparation guidance, and provide post-processing tools optimised for coronary vessel reconstruction — all of which translate into consistently high diagnostic image quality for cardiac examinations. The first stage of the appointment is the coronary calcium score (scor de calciu). Without any contrast agent or needle, the scanner acquires a brief ECG-gated dataset over the heart region, typically in under ten seconds of scan time. The resulting images display any calcium deposits within the coronary artery walls as bright, high-density foci. A radiologist then applies the Agatston scoring algorithm to quantify calcium across all four coronary territories — right coronary artery, left main, left anterior descending, and left circumflex — and sums them into a total score. The Agatston score is one of the strongest independent predictors of future myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death, superior to traditional risk factor calculators because it measures actual arterial damage already present rather than estimating statistical risk. A score of zero in an intermediate-risk patient is powerfully reassuring and is supported by multiple large trials as a basis for safely deferring statin therapy. Scores above 400 indicate advanced plaque burden and typically warrant urgent cardiovascular risk management. The second stage is CT coronary angiography (coronare). After the calcium score is complete, an intravenous cannula is placed and iodine-based contrast is injected while the scanner acquires a cardiac-gated volumetric dataset timed to the peak coronary arterial opacification. The resulting data is reconstructed into high-resolution cross-sections and three-dimensional models of the left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries from their origins to their distal branches. The radiologist grades any stenosis by its estimated percentage luminal narrowing and characterises plaque composition — distinguishing calcified from non-calcified (soft, lipid-rich) plaques that carry the highest rupture risk and are invisible to calcium scoring alone. The combined approach is more informative than either test alone. The calcium score quantifies overall atherosclerotic burden; the angiogram maps the coronary tree to determine whether any plaque is causing a haemodynamically significant narrowing that warrants intervention. Taken together, the two datasets give both the cardiologist and the patient a complete, non-invasive picture of coronary artery health — what is there (the score) and what it is doing to blood flow (the angiogram) — without catheter insertion or hospitalisation. Medicover publishes the combined cardiac CT as a single line item (CT cardio - scor de calciu+coronare nativ) at 2,900 RON on the hospital price list. At 5 RON per euro, this converts to €580 — placing it in the same range as Bucharest competitor Sanador Hospital's published cardiac CT price, and substantially below the €700–900 typically charged at equivalent private hospitals in Warsaw, Prague, or Vienna. The Pipera hospital operates around the clock, and the cardiology and radiology departments are integrated, meaning beta-blockade for heart rate control — often needed to optimise image quality — can be administered on-site if the patient's resting rate is above 65 bpm. Preparation requires avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and strenuous exercise for several hours before the appointment. Current renal function (creatinine) should be available if there is any history of kidney disease; the contrast volume for cardiac CT is standard and well-tolerated in patients with normal or near-normal renal function. No referral from a local general practitioner is required for self-pay or medical tourism bookings.