Published in:
01-09-2015 | Interventional
Typical exposure parameters, organ doses and effective doses for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair: Comparison of Monte Carlo simulations and direct measurements with an anthropomorphic phantom
Published in: European Radiology | Issue 9/2015
Login to get accessAbstract
Objectives
Radiation exposure of patients during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedures ranks in the upper sector of medical exposure. Thus, estimation of radiation doses achieved during EVAR is of great importance.
Material and methods
Organ doses (OD) and effective doses (ED) administered to 17 patients receiving EVAR were determined (1) from the exposure parameters by performing Monte Carlo simulations in mathematical phantoms and (2) by measurements with thermoluminescent dosimeters in a physical anthropomorphic phantom.
Results
The mean fluoroscopy time was 26 min, the mean dose area product was 24995 cGy cm2. The mean ED was 34.8 mSv, ODs up to 626 mSv were found. Whereas digital subtraction angiographies (DSA) and fluoroscopies each contributed about 50 % to the cumulative ED, the ED rates of DSAs were found to be ten times higher than those of fluoroscopies. Doubling of the field size caused an ED rate enhancement up to a factor of 3.
Conclusion
EVAR procedures cause high radiation exposure levels that exceed the values published thus far. As a consequence, (1) DSAs should be only performed when necessary and with a low image rate, (2) fluoroscopies should be kept as short as possible, and (3) field sizes should be minimized.
Key Points
• During endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) considerable patient doses are achieved.
• For each EVAR procedure organ (OD) and effective (ED) doses were determined.
• The mean ED was 34.8 mSv, the highest OD was 626 mSv.
• Number of DSAs, fluoroscopy durations and field sizes should be minimized.