Cumulative exposure to fluoroscopy--potential risks?

I am wondering about this and I'd guess that those here who have had multiple ablations might have too. My recent ablation was complex and that meant quite a lot of fluoroscopy time. I've scanned medical literature and while everyone seems to agree that it is important to keep fluoroscopy time as low as possible, I didn't see much about the cumulative effect of multiple procedures. As a woman, the risk to breast tissue comes to mind. Does it cause inflammation? If so, is it helpful to space out procedures so that inflammation can resolve? And what about getting a mammogram close to the time of an ablation? I do seem to feel some breast tissue inflammation. Has anyone researched this or discussed it with their EP?

I was told that a MIBI stress test, with injected radio-opaque dye and running on a treadmill, but having two sessions in a CT scanner during the entire test, was akin to having 500 chest x-rays. If the risk to human life were greater than about 1% of contracting DNA damage and developing cancers, I don't believe the insurers would agree to cover hospitals and the attending staff for liability. Even if we all sign waivers.

I have had two MIBI tests in the past five years. Numerous X-rays, including chest and dental. MRI a week prior to my ablation. I may have some problems, but it doesn't seem like anyone has cautioned me about submitting to more ionizing radiation.

Is there a risk? Surely. Is it so great that one should seriously consider foregoing such procedures and hope that the heart will slow its progression and keep you alive for another four, six, eight, or ten years? I would say no.

It turns out that some minor exposures to stressors of all kinds begets what is called the hormesis effect. Small bouts of radiation actually make us stronger, as does exposure to pathogens, pollutants (not all, and not much).

Whoa !

The total radiation exposure depends on the length of the fluoroscopy procedure and the dose of the materials used. An interventional fluoroscopic procedure may expose the patient to the radiation equivalent of 75-3,000 chest x-rays. Examples of fluoroscopic procedures and approximate exposures are:

Barium swallow: 1.5 mSv (150 mrem)

Barium enema: 7.0 mSv (700 mrem)

Coronary angiogram: 4.6-15.8 mSv (460-1,580 mrem)

Angioplasty (heart study): 7.5-57 mSv (750-5,700 mrem)

I joke I could glow in the dark this past year plus after getting frequent X-rays as often as 2/week. I think a PET scan is high as well. What about radiation treatment for cancer?

The nuclear radiation given in both X-rays and medicine (against tumours) is supposed to be highly focused. The idea in medicine, remember, is to 'do no harm.' So, while the dosage* can be quite lethal if not focused properly, it is metered carefully and kept to a small area where its intended effect is best placed. This is not to say that no other tissue will be irradiated, but it is minimal.

*Dosage has the components of particle density/wave frequency, proximity/distance, and shielding.

Quote
susan.d
I joke I could glow in the dark this past year plus after getting frequent X-rays as often as 2/week. I think a PET scan is high as well. What about radiation treatment for cancer?

That's not radiation Susan, it's your aura.

I think it might be Cherenkov radiation, the kind that turns the storage tank water blue..?

[www.youtube.com]

I got an update from TCAI on the radiation from fluoroscopy in their labs:

“Also, in response to your question, regarding radiation during the ablation…you may proceed with scheduling mammogram at any time. The equipment used in the EP lab is new within the past 2-3 years and utilizes less radiation than older technology per the EP lab manager. They have performed testing, monitor radiation exposure closely, and have found the amount of fluoroscopy time required to provide even the minimum level of unsafe exposure is multiple hours, so there is low concern with radiation exposure during the procedure in terms of needing to delay any additional testing/imaging for any period of time after ablation.”

Reassuring!

Quote
Daisy
I got an update from TCAI on the radiation from fluoroscopy in their labs:

“Also, in response to your question, regarding radiation during the ablation…you may proceed with scheduling mammogram at any time. The equipment used in the EP lab is new within the past 2-3 years and utilizes less radiation than older technology per the EP lab manager. They have performed testing, monitor radiation exposure closely, and have found the amount of fluoroscopy time required to provide even the minimum level of unsafe exposure is multiple hours, so there is low concern with radiation exposure during the procedure in terms of needing to delay any additional testing/imaging for any period of time after ablation.”

Reassuring!

But what do you think they are going to tell you?

Quote
Johnnyk80
But what do you think they are going to tell you?

They'll tell you the exact radiation dose you received. It's always right there in the ablation report you can simply ask for. And then you can take that number to independent sources and find out exactly how much risk it presents.

The answer is they're not lying.