floor to guide the
tech as she adjusts
the C-arm during the
case. That pre-op
planning increases
surgical efficiencies
and also limits the
amount of radiation
the surgical team is
exposed to during a
case.
For example, Dr.
Kaplan says it's chal-
lenging to capture
lateral images of the
hip that clearly show
the femoral neck. "The amount of fluoroscopy that's used will be sig-
nificantly reduced if surgeons and techs plan ahead and communicate
about placing the C-arm in ways that ensures those images are cap-
tured without using multiple shots," he says.
High-tech help
Kern Singh, MD, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Rush University
Medical Center in Chicago, touches on the double-edged sword of intra-
operative imaging. "It's risky, but it drives decision-making in the OR," he
says. "The key is to minimize exposure risks."
Dr. Singh believes developing technology will eventually help meet
that goal. "Investments in advanced imaging, including navigation-based
technologies and robotics, are being made to limit fluoroscopy use in the
OR," he says. "New flat-panel C-arms also provide 3D images that sur-
7 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 9
• ZOOM IN Place the image intensifier as close as possible to the imaging area to reduce
radiation scatter.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
