Cardiac CT

Combined coronary calcium scoring and CT coronary angiography in one appointment on the Siemens SOMATOM Force. Provides a complete non-invasive picture of coronary artery health — plaque burden plus functional stenosis assessment.

The full cardiac CT at Private Access Linz integrates two sequential CT acquisitions — a non-contrast coronary calcium score followed immediately by contrast-enhanced CT coronary angiography — into a single appointment on the Siemens SOMATOM Force dual-source CT. This combination delivers a more complete coronary assessment than either examination alone. The first stage quantifies total coronary calcification using the Agatston method. A zero score confirms absence of atherosclerotic plaque and carries a very low coronary event risk over the next ten years — a powerful reassurance that can obviate the need for downstream testing. Non-zero scores prompt the immediate second stage, which maps the coronary tree in three dimensions after contrast injection. The second stage identifies the location, composition, and haemodynamic significance of any plaques found. Non-calcified plaques — the subtype most prone to sudden rupture and acute myocardial infarction — are invisible to calcium scoring but clearly visible on CT angiography. Together, the two stages answer complementary clinical questions: how much atherosclerosis is present overall, and is any of it causing a flow-limiting narrowing that warrants intervention? The Siemens SOMATOM Force's dual-source architecture ensures that the ECG-gated acquisition captures the coronary circulation at the optimal cardiac phase even at elevated heart rates, reducing the need for rate-control medication. Radiation is minimised by the scanner's iterative reconstruction and prospective gating. Private Access was founded with a strong commitment to installing technology at the leading edge — the Graz original location was the first extramural site in Europe to operate both a 4-slice and a 64-slice CT. The SOMATOM Force represents the current apex of clinical CT capability, with worldwide serial number 14 held at Private Access. Linz patients benefit from this instrument and the expertise of Dr. Brader, a habilitated radiologist with a research connection to the Medical University of Graz.