Research summary, original research, 2017

Novel radiation dose reduction fluoroscopic technology facilitates chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary interventions

Balter S, Brinkman M, Kalra S, Nazif T, Parikh M, Kirtane AJ, et al.. EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology. 2017

Read the original paper

In plain language

In over 3,000 cardiac catheterisation procedures, newer dose-optimised X-ray systems cut recorded air kerma by about half for chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) despite longer fluoroscopy times. Staff dose was inferred from system metrics, not measured directly.

At a glance

Type of study
Original research, Retrospective cohort study
Who was studied
Patients
Size
n = 3,223 procedures (2,947 diagnostic catheterisations and 276 CTO-PCI)
Summary based on
the abstract

What it found

  • For chronic total occlusion (CTO)-PCI, air kerma fell by almost half on the highly dose-optimised machine compared with the reference machine, despite much longer fluoroscopy time.

    Key figures: 48% air kerma (AK) decrease; 76% increase in FT

  • For diagnostic catheterisations, air kerma fell 45% between the reference and moderately dose-optimised machines.

    Key figures: 45% decrease

  • A further reduction in air kerma was seen on the highly dose-optimised machine for diagnostic procedures.

    Key figures: further 20% decrease

  • CTO-PCI procedural success was higher on the highly dose-optimised machine.

    Key figures: 69.8% versus 83.0%

Limits to keep in mind

Retrospective single-dataset comparison of equipment generations, with possible confounding from changes in operators, technique and case mix over time. Doses are system air kerma metrics (patient dose surrogates); operator dose reduction is inferred rather than measured with personal dosimeters.

How this summary was made

ORSIF prepared this summary with AI assistance from the abstract of the paper. A program then checked that the passage supporting each finding appears word for word in that source. A person has not yet reviewed each summary, so read the original before relying on a number. ORSIF summarizes research and does not endorse any product or company. Report a problem with this summary.

Prepared November 3, 2026.