ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To quantify the reduction in operator exposure to scatter radiation by using an extension component in addition to a commonly used lower body radiation shield attached to an interventional radiology procedure table. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anthropomorphic pelvis phantom was exposed to fluoroscopy at varying C-arm angles to simulate a standard interventional procedure. A MAVIG UT60 lower body shield (MAVIG, Munich, Germany) (48 cm × 78 cm, 0.5 mm lead equivalent), with an attachable extension component (48 cm × 36 cm), was suspended from the edge of the table adjacent to the pelvic phantom. Using a handheld Geiger counter, scatter radiation exposure rates were measured at the level of an operator's eye, chest, waist, and knee, with various C-arm angles both with and without the attachable extension component. Mean exposure rates for each experimental setup were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Overall, scatter radiation exposures were lower with the addition of the extension component, with the largest reductions (> 80%) measured at the operator's waist and knee levels, for all C-arm angles. The highest reduction in scatter radiation exposure was measured at knee level, at 0 degrees left posterior oblique projection, where the use of the lower body shield extension component reduced the exposure rate from 4.80 mR/h to 0.44 mR/h (90.8% reduction, P < .001). Reductions in scatter radiation were less at eye and chest levels. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the additional extension component to the lower body radiation shield can result in large (> 80%) reductions in operator scatter radiation exposure, particularly to the lower body.
