Radiation Exposure during Cardiac Interventions in Congenital Heart Defects: A Multicenter German Registry Analysis...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• Interventional cardiac catheterizations are crucial for treating congenital heart defects (CHDs).
• Patients with CHDs often require lifelong care and repeated invasive procedures.
• Concerns exist regarding potential radiation-related risks from cumulative exposure during these interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze radiation data from interventional cardiac catheterizations in CHDs over a 9-year period.
• To evaluate trends in radiation exposure for specific procedures.
• To assess the quality of radiation protection in comparison to international standards.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in Patients with CHDs (2012-2020).
• Focused on eight specific cardiac interventions, including septal defect occlusions, patent ductus arteriosus occlusion, and valvuloplasty.
• Collected data on total fluoroscopy time (TFT), dose area product (DAP), and DAP per body weight (DAP/BW).

Main Results:

• A total of 9,350 procedures were analyzed, with some performed without radiation.
• Median annual TFT, DAP, and DAP/BW showed a continuous decrease over the study period.
• Radiation burden correlated with intervention complexity, with transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation (TPVI) having the highest exposure.

Conclusions:

• Radiation exposure decreased across eight cardiac interventions between 2012 and 2020.
• Radiation protection quality was found to be good compared to international registries.
• Continuous surveillance of radiation burden is essential for patients undergoing these procedures.