29 September 2020

Significance of Radiation Protection in Interventional Cardiology

Image guided interventional procedures have become increasingly popular owing to the higher success rate and minimal invasion associated with it. Interventional cardiology teams face high quantum of radiation exposure due to a large number of complex interventional procedures performed in the Cath lab every day. Other fluoroscopy-assisted procedures, like trans-catheter valve replacements, are creating demand for Cath Lab time and skills. Also, the ability to treat cardiovascular, peripheral, and valve disease in a minimally invasive technique is increasing the addressable patient population and provides benefits like short recovery time and lesser complications. However, these procedures expose the interventional team’s long-term health at risk which calls for adequate radiation protection methods during interventional cardiology procedures.