What is the radiation exposure to patients during a gynecoradiologic procedure?

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 401 - 403
• Main Authors: Karande, Vishvanath C., Pratt, Donna E., Balin, Martin S., Levrant, Seth G., Morris, Randy S., Gleicher, Norbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.1997; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; Environmental Exposure; Female; Fluoroscopy; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Gynecoradiology; Humans; Infertility, Female - diagnostic imaging; Medical sciences; Pelvis - diagnostic imaging; rad time; Radiation; Retrospective Studies; Safety; selective salpingography; Sterility. Assisted procreation; Time Factors; tubal catheterization; rad time; tubal catheterization; Gynecoradiology; radiation; selective salpingography; Human; Radiodiagnosis; Catheterization; Toxicity; Radiologic investigation; Female sterility; Hysterosalpingography; Fallopian tube; X ray irradiation; Radiation dose; Treatment; Female genital system; Risk factor; Female; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/S0015-0282(97)81931-0

To evaluate the risk of radiation exposure to infertility patients during a gynecoradiologic procedure. Retrospective clinical study. Medical school-affiliated infertility center. Three hundred thirty-two consecutive infertility patients undergoing a gynecoradiologic procedure. Patients underwent a gynecoradiologic procedure as part of their infertility workup and the fluoroscopic exposure time was analyzed. The fluoroscopic exposure (rad time) during gynecoradiologic procedures, including hysterosalpingogram (HSG), selective salpingography, tubal catheterization, and others. The rad time (mean ± SD) was 63 ± 54 seconds for normal HSG (n = 94, range 17 to 404 seconds), 100 ± 61 seconds for abnormal HSG (n = 53, range 28 to 272 seconds), 11.1 ± 57 seconds for unilateral selective salpingography (n = 36, range 31 to 324 seconds), 142 ± 74 seconds for bilateral selective salpingography (n = 87, range 40 to 430 seconds), 176 ± 77 seconds for unilateral tubal catheterization (n = 27, range 70 to 342 seconds), and 239 ± 82 seconds for bilateral tubal catheterization (n = 30, range 110 to 381 seconds). Five patients had other procedures, such as lysis of intrauterine adhesions (n = 2) and resection of an uterine septum (n = 3), for which the rad time was in a range of 180 to 300 seconds. The radiation exposure of patients during a gynecoradiologic procedure, using previously described standard techniques, is well within established margins of safety. Fertil Steril ® 1997;67:401-3