Radiation exposure of patients and coronary arteries in the stent era: A prospective study

Previous studies have investigated the radiation dose to doctors and patients during coronary angiography and angioplasty, but most of them were retrospective, conducted in the prestent era, and results have not been consistent. Effective dose of 57 patients undergoing coronary angiography and/or angioplasty was assessed by using a dose-area product (DAP) to effective dose conversion factor. Radiation exposure risks to patients were then calculated for each procedure. Thermoluminescent dosimeters, mounted on a specially designed catheter that was advanced to the left or right sinus of Valsalva, were used to measure the dose received by the coronary arteries. Mean effective dose received by patients were 5.0 +/- 0.5 mSv for coronary angiography, 6.6 +/- 1.0 mSv for angioplasty, 10.2 +/- 1.5 mSv for angioplasty followed by stent implantation, 13.6 +/- 2.5 mSv for angiography followed by ad hoc angioplasty, and 16.7 +/- 2.8 mSv for angiography followed by ad hoc angioplasty and stent implantation. Patient risk of developing cancer after each procedure was 0.025%, 0.033%, 0.051%, 0.068%, and 0.084%, respectively. Corresponding mean coronary irradiation doses were 24 +/- 2.5, 31.0 +/- 3.6, 43.6 +/- 7.2, 55.0 +/- 7.5, and 64.7 +/- 5.6 mGy, respectively. A linear relationship of the DAP and the dose at the coronary arteries was found: DAP = 1,273 (cm(2)) x coronary dose (mGy). Radiation exposure to coronary arteries and associated risk to patients are relatively low, even following complicated, multivessel angioplasty with stent implantation. Our method can be used for calculation of radiation risk to patients and radiation dose to coronary arteries by using external dosimeters. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 51:259-264, 2000.