Radiation Exposure to the Interventional Echocardiographers and Sonographers: A Call to Action

Interventional echocardiography is a rapidly growing field within the disciplines of cardiology and anesthesiology, with the rise of advanced transcatheter procedures making skilled imagers more important than ever. However, these procedures also involve frequent manipulation of the transesophageal echocardiography probe, which means interventional echocardiographers (IEs) are at risk of long-term occupational radiation exposure. Studies have shown that radiation exposure is linked to various health issues, including cancer, cataracts, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, vascular aging, and early atherosclerosis. While there is increasing awareness of the occupational radiation dose limits and the need for better shielding methods, the importance of radiation safety for the IE is still not sufficiently prioritized in most cardiac catheterization laboratories/hybrid operating rooms. This is partly due to a paucity of studies looking at long-term radiation exposure to the IE, as this field is newer than that of interventional cardiologists.