Evaluation of occupational doses in surgical staff via Monte Carlo simulation

This study evaluated radiation exposure during fluoroscopy-guided surgical procedures using Monte Carlo simulations. The methodology involved modeling femoral osteosynthesis scenarios, representing both the patient and the occupationally exposed individual (OEI) with a female reference phantom from ICRP Publication 145. The study included 24 simulations, categorized into posteroanterior (PA) and lateral cross (LC) projections, with tube voltages ranging from 60 to 90 kV for PA and 70 to 100 kV for LC. Protective equipment, such as aprons, suspended glass, and curtains, was tested using alternative materials to lead, including bismuth and tungsten. The results demonstrated that bismuth and tungsten exhibited varying levels of radiation attenuation efficiency compared to lead, with performance expressed as percentages relative to lead-based equipment. While certain scenarios showed that bismuth and tungsten outperformed lead in radiation protection, other scenarios highlighted their limitations. For instance, at 90 kV in the PA projection, both materials resulted in significant increases in radiation dose compared to lead.