Dr. George Cater stands in front of a CT coronary angiogram on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2025, at UPMC Passavant in Cranberry Township. Hunter Muro/Butler Eagle

New medical technology at Cranberry Township’s UPMC Passavant is offering an expedited way to detect heart-related ailments.

Doctors at the hospital recently have acquired a CT coronary angiogram, a device that provides 3D imaging of the heart and blood vessels and can assess all degrees of potential blockages.

“This allows us to assess the coronary anatomy and look for all stages of coronary artery disease,” said Dr. George Cater, a cardiologist who regularly uses the technology. “That’s the main benefit of it. Our scanner is one of the more state-of-the-art scanners. It really allows us to get good pictures in a very short time frame without significant artifacts.”

Cater noted the technology has been around “for a long time,” but “not every site has the specific hardware and equipment available to do it.”

Other sites in the UPMC system that offer the technology are in Oakland and West Mifflin, both of which are in Allegheny County. Cranberry’s Passavant location received its scanner late last year.

“The benefit here is now we can offer this scanner in the community, whereas typically people have to go down to Presby (UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland),” Cater said.

While he explained that the technology is not a predictor of heart issues, it can be beneficial for people who have symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath.

Detecting issues with a simple scan can help doctors determine what treatment is required.

“It’s mostly for people with symptoms, but it does help us decide in those low risk people whether we need to be aggressive about medical management for them,” Cater said. “That includes putting them on other medications that would help reduce their risk of heart problems down the road.”

He also noted that it’s far easier than many other stress tests, since all it requires is a an IV that contains a contrast dye, which simply advances the visibility of whatever shows up on a given scan.

“It’s really been helpful in identifying if there’s a major problem that needs to be addressed,” said Cater. “This is with a noninvasive test, so that’s been a big benefit. It’s also beneficial in people that have other potential anomalies of the heart.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing 371,506 people across the country in 2022.

American Heart Month is observed every February. To maintain a healthy heart, the American Heart Association recommends:

• Using up at least as many calories as you take in

• Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week

• Eating and following a healthy dietary pattern

• Living tobacco free.