Cardiac CT

Comprehensive cardiac CT package combining coronary calcium scoring and CT coronary angiography in a single appointment — providing a complete non-invasive picture of coronary artery health using a 256-slice scanner with iDose dose reduction.

The full cardiac CT examination at KardioRadiologie Köln integrates two sequential scans — a non-contrast calcium score and a contrast-enhanced CT coronary angiography — into one appointment on the practice's 256-slice CT scanner. Together, these two stages deliver a more complete assessment of coronary artery health than either investigation alone. The first stage is the coronary calcium score: a brief, low-dose scan without contrast agent that quantifies existing calcification in the arterial walls. This produces the Agatston score — a validated, widely adopted cardiovascular risk metric. A calcium score of zero correlates with a very low risk of coronary events over the next decade and may safely reassure both patient and physician. Intermediate and high scores call for further investigation, which proceeds directly to the second stage. The second stage is the CT coronary angiography. Intravenous contrast dye is administered, and the 256-slice scanner captures the entire coronary circulation in a single heartbeat at 270-millisecond rotation speed. The resulting dataset is reconstructed into three-dimensional vessel maps that show each coronary artery — left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary — along its full course. Any significant narrowing, soft plaque, or anomaly is identified and graded. The combination is particularly valuable because it distinguishes between the overall burden of atherosclerosis (captured by the calcium score) and the haemodynamic impact of specific lesions (shown by the angiogram). A high calcium score with no flow-limiting stenosis, for example, has a very different management implication from a high score with a critical proximal lesion. KardioRadiologie Köln was established in December 2010 under the leadership of PD Dr. med. Oliver Klass, who trained at Ulm University Hospital — Germany's national reference centre for cardiac imaging — and carries dual specialist certification in radiology and cardiac surgery. The practice was the first in Germany to use iDose, a computational dose-reduction algorithm that reduces radiation exposure while maintaining or enhancing image quality. PD Dr. Klass delivers a consultation before each examination to customise the protocol and again after the scan to discuss findings directly with the patient, a level of direct physician access that distinguishes the practice from larger hospital radiology departments. The examination is suitable for adults with low-to-moderate suspicion of coronary artery disease, classical cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, smoking, or family history), atypical chest symptoms, or for those seeking a definitive preventive assessment before committing to long-term statin therapy. It is also used for follow-up after coronary stent implantation or bypass surgery. No hospitalisation is required. Patients typically arrive, complete the examination, receive results, and leave within two hours.