Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)

Non-invasive CT imaging of the coronary arteries using the SOMATOM Pro.Pulse Dual Source scanner — the first of its kind in Central Eastern Europe. Identifies stenosis, plaque, and coronary artery disease without catheterisation.

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at St. Catherine Specialty Hospital is performed on the Siemens SOMATOM Pro.Pulse with Dual Source technology — the first installation of this scanner in Central Eastern Europe. The device achieves exceptionally fast temporal resolution by combining two X-ray tubes and two detectors in parallel, acquiring the full cardiac volume in a fraction of a heartbeat and eliminating the motion artefact that degrades image quality on conventional single-source scanners. The result is diagnostic-quality coronary images even in patients with elevated resting heart rate, arrhythmia, or inability to tolerate beta-blocker preparation. The examination provides non-invasive visualisation of the left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries in high resolution. Iodinated contrast is injected intravenously at a carefully timed rate to opacify the coronary lumen during acquisition. ECG gating synchronises imaging with the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle. The entire scan takes only a few minutes; total appointment time including preparation and contrast timing is typically 30–45 minutes. CCTA has a very high negative predictive value — a normal or near-normal result effectively excludes significant coronary artery disease and allows safe deferral of invasive testing. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) jointly recommend CCTA as the primary and largest non-invasive test for evaluating stable and acute chest pain in patients without prior coronary artery disease. St. Catherine performs the examination in alignment with these evidence-based guidelines. Post-processing software generates three-dimensional reconstructions of the coronary tree, enabling per-segment stenosis grading, plaque characterisation (calcified, non-calcified, mixed), and identification of coronary anomalies. Reports are prepared by board-certified radiologists with cardiovascular imaging experience. The SOMATOM Pro.Pulse's built-in AI platform, myExam Companion, automatically optimises scanning parameters — tube voltage, current, and timing — based on patient height, weight, gender, and resting heart rate, reducing operator variability and improving consistency across patients. St. Catherine is JCI-accredited and holds membership of the Leading Hospitals of the World network. International patients benefit from dedicated admissions coordination, English-speaking clinical staff, and compliance with the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive (2011/24/EU), which governs reimbursement for EU citizens seeking care in another member state. The hospital is located minutes from Zagreb's city centre and main railway station, and the city is served by direct flights from London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Vienna, and most major European hubs.