The new scan reflects a partnership between cardiologists and radiologists, leading to integrated patient care.

UI Heart and Vascular Center offers diagnostic heart scans that are faster than standard scans, giving your physician a better picture of what’s going on in order to determine what type of treatment is best for your heart condition.

This non-invasive diagnostic imaging procedure—coronary CT (computed tomography)— is creating a new way to diagnose a variety of cardiovascular diseases by using a new state of- the-art 64-slice CT scanner, one of the first new-generation scanners in Eastern Iowa.

It gives exceptional resolution, and because the scan takes in the whole thoracic cavity, diseases of the lung and digestive tract may also be discovered.

The new scan reflects a partnership between cardiologists and radiologists, leading to integrated patient care. Together they review the scan results, connecting the cardiologist’s knowledge of the heart with the interpretation skills of the radiologist. This combination of specially trained experts makes the service at UI Hospitals and Clinics unique.

"The cardiologist, an expert in matters of the heart, focuses on the cardiovascular abnormalities, while the radiologist, an expert in heart and lung imaging, evaluates both the cardiovascular abnormalities as well as areas outside the heart," says Edwin van Beek, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics radiologist.

Coronary CT creates images of the heart to detect arterial narrowing and blockages. Less invasive than diagnostic catheterization, it reduces scan times to approximately 10 to 15 seconds, enabling patients with severe pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure to hold their breath for the required length of time. Shorter scan times also mean minimal or no motion which could interfere with the evaluation of the images.

The coronary CT is available only with a physician referral. If you are interested in this procedure, contact UI Heart and Vascular Center, 319-356-7102, for an appointment with a UI Hospitals and Clinics cardiologist.

UI radiologist Edwin van Beek, MD, left, and UI cardiologist Diresh Jagasia, MD.