Don't Get a Coronary CT Scan

Don't get a coronary CT scan, says David Browstein, MD. It's dangerous, and can only lead to more dangerous procedures.

I am asked by many patients if they should get a coronary CT scan to evaluate the status of their coronary arteries. Coronary CT scans are a noninvasive way to visualize calcification in the coronary arteries. The only other way to visualize atherosclerotic changes in the coronary arteries is through an angiogram where a catheter from the groin is thread to the coronary arteries.

It must be better to do a coronary CT scan – versus an angiogram – since it is non-invasive – right? The answer to this question is easy; coronary CT scans should be avoided. Read more