Breast Radiation Protection in Coronary Angiography

Introduction: Coronary angiography (CA) is an interventional diagnostic procedure to assess cardiovascular disease. CA is performed using dedicated fluoroscopic systems equipped with either flat detector or image intensifier. There is an increase in the number of CA annually. Reducing the radiation exposure in the CA is essential, especially due to high fluoroscopy time. In order to breast radiation protection in coronary angiography, the use of bismuth composite shield is a selective method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of new bismuth composite shield to reduce the amount of received dose to the breast in coronary angiography. Method and Materials: The standard female phantom and Siemens angiography system used in this research. All the procedures were carried out by one operator because factors such as the operator’s skill and experience may affect on the patient radiation exposure. The bismuth composite shields were placed on the foam with thickness of 1 cm, exactly on the back of the phantom. Dose measurements were conducted by using three thermo luminescence dosimeters (TLDs) over each breasts location with and without using bismuth shield. Results: Breast dose was 2.45 mSv without using shield. After applying the bismuth composite shields, the recorded dose was changed to between 2.15 to 2.22 mSv. Therefore, the use of shields causes 10 % - 12% dose decline of sensitive breast tissue with acceptable imaging. Conclusion: The results showed that the use of bismuth composite shields in the coronary angiography, leads to an acceptable decrease in breast received dose.