Computed Tomography (CT) Angiography

Cardiovascular Angiogram Before Surgery

A computed tomography (CT) angiography is a specialized exam that your doctor can use to check your blood vessels to plan surgery. During this exam, the testing team takes CT images while injecting intravenous (IV) contrast into a vein in your arm. The contrast improves the quality by making the final images sharper.

Preparing for Your CT Angiography

Please do not eat solid foods for at least three hours before your CT scan at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). During this time, you may drink clear liquids and take your usual medications.

Arriving for Your CT Angiography

When you arrive, a member of our testing team may ask you to drink four to eight ounces of whole milk or water. Drinking milk or water enhances the quality of your CT scan by making structures in your body easier to see.

It is important that you inform the technologist before your exam if you have any of these conditions:

• Asthma
• Allergy to any foods or medications
• Diabetes and take Glucophage (metformin)
• May be pregnant or are breastfeeding

Length of Your CT Angiography

The length of time for this scan is different for everyone. Because a CT angiogram is a specialized exam, it could take between 30 and 60 minutes from the time you enter the testing room.

After Your CT Angiography

You may resume your normal daily routine after your exam. Because you received IV contrast, be sure to drink more fluids to help clear the material from your system. Your kidneys filter the contrast from your blood. You’ll pass it — unnoticed — in your urine.

In most cases, CT angiography requires sophisticated image processing on special computers after you leave the hospital. Our radiologists will review the results of your CT scan with your doctor, who will then explain them to you. Your vascular specialist should have access to your exam results within 24 hours.