7 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7
and tear that can leave wearers
exposed.
• Thyroid shields. The thyroid
is extremely vulnerable to radiation exposure, but shields that protect the area
often go unused, often because they're not available for the surgical team to
wear.
• Protective gloves. A surgeon's hands are also particularly prone to exposure,
mostly because they are the hardest to protect from direct exposure. Mini C-
arms might reduce the overall radiation exposure to the surgeon, but might
increase risk of exposure to his hands, which can be in the direct path of the X-
ray beam. Protective gloves are an option, but they produce more radiation scat-
ter, and they're no substitute for proper technique. One way to reduce the
amount of direct radiation exposure to the hands is to use forceps and other
instruments to position anatomy when images are being captured.
• Lead eyewear. The eyes are especially sensitive to radiation, and leaded
goggles can limit exposure by 90%. On a personal note, my corrective lens pre-
scription has changed twice in the past 5 years. Although I can't pinpoint a
direct correlation, the changes were likely due to my work with the C-arm.
Make sure your surgeons' eye protection includes lateral shields to protect from
scatter off the head and direct exposure when their heads are turned.
3
Agree on verbal cues
Make sure surgeons and radiology techs establish before a case begins
the terminology they'll use to indicate how the C-arm should be reposi-
tioned. It's suggested that direction and distance should describe linear move-
ments and direction and magnitude of degree should describe rotational move-
ments. Surgeons and radiology techs should also agree on what will be said just
before the C-arm is activated, so members of the surgical team can take the nec-
essary steps to protect themselves against exposure, including removing their
hands from the imaging field whenever possible.
Surgeons and staff who understand
the risks of exposure are more likely
to commit to safer C-arm practices.
