PATIENTS’ RADIATION DOSES DURING PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY FOR URINARY STONES IN THE UROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE HOSPITAL

Overview

X-ray examinations are common in urological practice, especially in diagnosis and treatment of urinary stones. Although radiation doses of diagnostic methods are generally well known, only a few articles related to radiation doses during therapy have been published.

The aim of this work is to calculate radiation exposure, absorbed doses and dose rates of fluoroscopy during percutaneous nephrolitotomy (PNL).

In retrospective group of 250 patients who underwent PNL in our department from September 2011 to February 2015 we analyse data and calculate superficial air kerma and effective doses during surgery.

There are no statistically significant differences between single year data. Median fluoroscopy time was 214 seconds (range 2 to 750) with exposure of 89.5 mGy and effective dose 3.52mSv (range 0.04 to 13.2 mSv). The mean effective dose rate is 0.017 ± 0.0035 mSv per second.

Fluoroscopy is safe and we don´t exceed local dose limit references. Patients are exposed to an average 3.16 mSv during PNL, similar to noncontrast CT or intravenous urogram. Although radiation exposure for surgeon and operating theatre staff doesn´t exceed safe limits, urologists must be aware and decrease radiation exposure to as low as possible.

KEY WORDS:
Percutaneous nephrolitotomy, urinary stones, radiation doses.