gms | German Medical Science

Objective: We evaluated radiation exposure levels to protected and unprotected hands during fluoroscopically assisted vertebroplasty.

Methods: Doses were assessed in 30 patients and 41 procedures in a controlled prospective trial over six months, comparing radiation exposure of right and left hands in two neurosurgeons. Effective skin doses were evaluated with thermoluminescent finger dosimeters (ring dosimeters). The ratios of finger dosimeter exposure were compared between glove protected and unprotected left hands and both unprotected right hands. In addition, DAP (dose-area product) and fluoroscopy times were recorded in all patients.

Results: The mean effective hand dose was 0.49±0.4mSv with glove protected left hand and 1.94±1.12mSv with unprotected left one (p<0.05). Mean effective hand doses were 0.59±0,55mSv with unprotected right hand of the glove protected surgeon and 0.62±0.55mSv with unprotected right hand of the control surgeon. Corresponding fluoroscopy time was 38.55 minutes for the protected surgeon and 41.23 minutes for the unprotected one (p>0.05). Lead glove shielding resulted in radiation dose reduction of 75%. The total DAP for all procedures was 256496 mGy/cm² and 221408 mGy/cm² (p>0.05).

Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of lead glove protection of surgeon’s leading hands in percutaneous Vertebroplasty reducing radiation exposure by 75%.