Interventional echocardiographers working with suspended lead suits (Zero-Gravity system; Biotronik) during left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures are exposed to significantly less radiation—with undetectable levels in three out of every five cases—than they are when wearing lead aprons, according to a new study.
The findings illuminate a potential solution to a growing occupational hazard for these imagers, who are not often recognized to be at risk, say researchers.
Now, “[we have] a real-world application of how we might fix the problem,” said David A. McNamara, MD, MPH (Corewell Health West, Grand Rapids, MI), noting that plenty of evidence exists showing both the negative effects of radiation exposure—including left-sided brain malignancies, cataracts, and carotid atherosclerotic disease—as well as the orthopedic issues associated with wearing heavy lead…