CT Coronary Angiogram
A CT scan is a specialised x-ray that allows detailed pictures to be taken of parts of the body in order to diagnose certain conditions. A CT Coronary Angiogram (or CTCA) takes detailed CT images of the coronary arteries which are the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart muscles. The test looks for any potential narrowing or blockages which may be causing some of your cardiac symptoms.
CT Coronary Angiogram
A CT Coronary Angiogram looks at the condition of the coronary arteries (blood vessels) that supply blood to your heart. If these arteries are blocked or narrowed, then you might experience symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath because your heart cannot get the amount of oxygen it needs.
The test involves some contrast dye to allow for the arteries to be seen clearly. On the day of your scan, you will be asked to avoid caffeine and you may be given some medications before the test to control your blood pressure or heart rate if necessary. The contrast dye will be inserted through a small needle (cannula) which is usually placed on the arm. During the test, small amounts of dye will travel through the cannula into the bloodstream and up to the heart to 'illuminate' the arteries. This is completely harmless, and the dye will leave the body naturally as any other liquid.
Once the cannula has been inserted and the blood pressure and heart rate checked, you will be asked to lay down on a scanning bed which will be attached to the CT scanner (which is a donut shaped machine). The staff will then guide the bed into the scanner and the test will commence. The staff will be required to be in another room during the scan to minimise any radiation, but you will be able to speak to them throughout the test. You will not be in the scanner for any more than 15-20 minutes after which you may be asked to stay for some observation to ensure that your heart rate and blood pressure remain at normal levels, after which you should be able to go home. The results of the scan will be passed to your doctor/GP, which may take a few days.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
1. Prior to this test, we aim to ensure our patients have all the details they need before they arrive at the hospital. You can find our full CTCA information sheet by clicking here: CTCA Guide
2. Please complete the attached Questionnaire prior to your scan, and take this with you on the day of your scan: Questionnaire
Please Note: Our CT Angiograms, CT Calcium Scores and other Radiology diagnostic tests are facilitated by Kingston Private Health in line with our Service Line Agreement with Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. You can find out more about our partnership with Kingston Private Health here.
Radiology Department Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Galsworthy Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7QB.
We are proud to provide our patients with state of the art diagnostic facilities, unique to hospitals in London. The dedicated Radiology Department at Kingston Hospital aim to provide the very best care during your scan, and will be happy to assist with any queries related to the scan itself.
The benefits of having your Angiogram with our Radiology Team is that the Kingston Hospital Team will be able to discuss any findings at their CT Angiogram multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting which comprises of doctors and other specialists across many of London's top hospitals including St Georges, St Thomas' and the Royal Brompton. For more information about this, please get in touch.
If you need to contact the Radiology Team, you can call them on 020 8934 2147 or 3623.
Please note, the Radiology Team will not be able to answer any queries about queries that are not related to the CT scan appointment.
For details on how to get to Kingston Hospital and finding the Radiology Department, click here.
Radiology are located on the ground floor in Main Outpatients (area D on the map).
To find a map of the Kingston Private Health Car Park available to use by Heartsure's CTCA* patients, please click here.
* Please note - the car park at KPH may only be used during investigative procedures. Please provide your vehicle registration plate to one of our Admin Team to avoid any penalty or prosecution.
How to be referred
GP or Other Healthcare Professional:
If your GP or other healthcare professional wishes to refer you to us, they can do this by sending us a referral letter or by using our Diagnostic referral form here. The completed referral form or letter should be sent securely to info@heartsure.co.uk so that we can offer you an appointment.
Please indicate to your doctor if you will be funding this care yourself or if you wish to utilise any Private Health Insurance. Please read below for more information.
Self Referral:
If you wish to have an appointment for a diagnostic test but you have not been referred by your GP or someone else, you can get in touch and refer yourself to us using the Patient Self Referral form here or simply by contacting a member of our team.
If you have any symptoms, past diagnoses, family history or other information that you wish to tell us about, please fill this in as it will help us to arrange the best possible appointment for you. If you wish to use private health insurance to cover the costs of your care, your insurer may not cover your care unless you are referred by a healthcare professional, and so it is advised to confirm this with your insurance provider prior to referring yourself.
Covering your care
Heartsure offers some of the most competitive prices for the area. Please read below about the options of cover that you have available either through health insurance or funding your own care, and the costs associated.
Private Health Insurance:
Heartsure accepts patients from all major UK insurance companies. If you are wishing to use your health insurance policy to cover the cost of your diagnostic tests at Heartsure, please check with your policy to ensure you are covered. Alternatively you can contact your insurance company for more information. A list of all insurance companies that we are registered with can be found here.
If you cannot find your insurance provider on the list above, please contact us. Please note, failure to confirm your care with your insurance company and obtaining an authorisation code could result in the costs of any appointments not being covered. In these circumstances, it remains your responsibility to make payments for any appointments or services that have been completed. For more information, please go to our Private Health Insurance page which you can find here.
Self Funding:
Heartsure makes it easy for you to pay for any services that you have undertaken. We offer the following payment methods:
• Card - we accept all major card providers and are able to take card payments at the clinic if you wish.
• Bank Transfer - all of our bank details are provided on our invoices. If you require any further information, please contact us.
• Online payments - we are able to facilitate easy online payments through iZettle. We will attach a payment link to each invoice, and you are welcome to use this as a safe and secure way to pay
If you wish to self-fund your care, or someone is covering your care for you, you/they must complete our 'Fees and Insurance' form to confirm a commitment to pay the full fees. Our fee schedule can be found here, which should be used only if you are 'self-funding'. For more information about Self-Funding, please find our Self-Funding page which can be found here. For those patients who have health insurance, please see the information above.
More information:
For more information about CT Coronary Angiograms, find a detailed guide here.