Radiation Protection Dosimetry Advance Access originally published online on June 11, 2007
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 2008 128(1):112-119; doi:10.1093/rpd/ncm234
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Estimation of radiation doses to patients and surgeons from various fluoroscopically guided orthopaedic surgeries
1 Medical Physics Department, Agios Savvas Hospital, 171 Alexandras Avenue, 115 22 Athens, Greece
2 Medical Physics Unit, ‘Konstantopoulio—Agia Olga’ Hospital, 3–5 Agias Olgas, Nea Ionia, 142 33 Athens, Greece
3 B' Orthopaedic Department of University of Athens, ‘Konstantopoulio—Agia Olga’ Hospital, 3–5 Agias Olgas, Nea Ionia, 142 33 Athens, Greece
4 Radiology Department, ‘Konstantopoulio—Agia Olga’ Hospital, 3–5 Agias Olgas, Nea Ionia, 142 33 Athens, Greece
* Corresponding author: j_tsalas{at}hotmail.com
Received September 11, 2006, amended January 12, 2007, accepted March 30, 2007
In this study, a mathematical method was used to estimate the entrance surface dose (ESD) to the patient and the scattered dose (Ds) to the operating surgeon during various fluoroscopically guided surgical orthopaedic procedures. For 204 patients, the procedure type, the fluoroscopy time and the highest tube potential and current values observed during fluoroscopy were recorded. For the most often performed procedures (intramedullary nailing of peritrochanteric fractures, open reduction and internal fixation of malleolar fractures and intramedullary nailing of diaphyseal fractures of the femur), the respective mean fluoroscopy times were 3.2, 1.5 and 6.3 min while the estimated mean ESDs were 183, 21 and 331 mGy, respectively. The estimated Ds rates for the hands, chest, thyroid, eyes, gonads and legs of the operating surgeon were on average to 0.103, 0.023, 0.013, 0.012, 0.066 and 0.045 mGy min–1, respectively, and compare well with the literature. The mathematical estimation of doses cannot replace actual measurements; however, it can be used for a preliminary assessment of the radiation dose levels during various surgical procedures, so that the operator, the surgeon and the rest of the medical staff involved could be aware of the associated radiation risk and the radiation protection measures required.