Patients' radiation doses during the implantation of stents in carotid, renal, iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries

Abstract

Objectives and design: The aim of the study was to document the radiation doses to patients during the implantation of stents in various arteries and to discuss potential reasons for prolongation of radiological procedures.

Materials and methods: Measurements of air kerma (Gy) and dose-area product (Gy cm²) (DAP) were carried out simultaneously on a sample of 345 patients, who underwent different interventional radiological procedures involving angioplasty with stenting of 73 carotid (21.5%), 22 renal (6.5%), 160 iliac (45%), 63 femoral (18.6%) and 27 popliteal (7.9%) arteries.

Results: The highest mean air kerma values for fluoroscopy and exposure were found for renal angioplasty (340 and 420 mGy, respectively). With regard to total DAP values, the highest were obtained for renal (148 Gy cm²) and iliac/The Inter-Society Consensus for Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease (TASC) II C (199 Gy cm²) stent implantation. The lowest values were for carotid (53 Gy cm²), iliac/TASC II A (6.3 Gy cm²) and femoral/TASC II A (53 Gy cm²) arteries. For 3.5% of the patients, the air kerma was between 1 and 1.5 Gy and for 1.5%, it was between 1.5 and 2 Gy.

Conclusions: In procedures performed on the arteries of the lower limbs, a significantly higher dose was received by patients with TASC II C lesions. With regard to the number of stents implanted, the total DAP value was 50% higher for simultaneous three-stent implantation than for one or two stents.

Copyright © 2010 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.