Radiation Protection Dosimetry Advance Access originally published online on February 3, 2006
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 2005 117(1-3):50-53; doi:10.1093/rpd/nci717
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Optimisation strategies and justification: an example in uterine artery embolisation for fibroids
1 Department of Radiology, Diakonissenkrankenhaus, Diakonissenstrasse 28, D-76199 Karlsruhe, Germany
2 Interfaculty Reactor Institute, Medical Physics, Delft University of Technology, NL-2629 JB Delft, The Netherlands
* Corresponding author: radiologie{at}diak-ka.de
Radiation risk has to be justified and optimised. This study discusses the radiation risk of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) for the treatment of fibroids. A total of 70 consecutive UAE dosimetry parameters were assessed. Using Monte Carlo simulation, organ and effective doses and dose conversion coefficients (DCCs) (mSv Gy cm2) were calculated. During UAE optimisation, avoidance of oblique views and use of last-image-hold (LIH) documentation instead of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were investigated. Mean dosearea product (DAP) was 37.1 Gy cm2 (median 23.7 Gy cm2) and mean fluoroscopy time was 18.4 min (median 16.6 min). Dose values decreased as the study progressed: mean DAP for patients 121, 68.5 Gy cm2; patients 2243, 35.7 Gy cm2; and patients 4469, 13.0 Gy cm2. Average DCC for DSA image procedures was 0.572, yielding a mean effective dose of 29.6 mSv (median 17.1 mSv). For LIH-only procedures, an average DCC of 0.813 was estimated [using mean effective dose: 10.6 mSv (median 8.1 mSv)].