Multiple CT scans - dose rate?
Andrew
In short:-
I am due to have a CT scan of my aorta in two different
hospitals within a month of each other.
One surgeon has requested it (as I asked for a second
opinion on some pains I'd been getting). Coincidentally, my
original surgeon has now scheduled a CT scan for next month.
The information booklets which come with the appointment
letter state that the dose is the equivalent of 3years
background radiation.
It's great to have two sets of eyes looking at my aorta but
not sure if I should mention this each radiographer..... and
am I doing myself harm? I have a 3 month old baby at home
too. What is the half life of the tracers used?
In long:-
My aorta dissected May 2008. Being a 40yr old male, I was
originally treated for heart attack (I was thrombolysed) but
then the split was spotted so I had a 14hour emergency
overnight operation to fit a metallic aortic valve and
ascending aorta tube graft. The surgeon had trouble getting
one of my coronary arteries to seal, so I have a leg vein as
a coronary bypass too.
I developed angina symptoms suddenly a couple of months
after the operation. Initially it was only chest pain on
exertion (walking fast up a hill). Tests were done
(stress/resting nuclear perfusion and cardiac enzyme). The
conclusion - not angina - no heart attack - live with it and
take pain killers.
One year on and the pain on fast walking up hill has become
pain just getting out of a car or walking slowly on the
flat. In addition, dizziness, feeling faint, weak legs,
breathlessness, grey tunnel vision have been added to the
list of symptoms I get when I attempt stairs.
My GP last month tried to get the problem re-addressed but
the hospital wrote back saying that they had already done
all the tests they wanted to.
At this point I went to another surgeon who has immediately
booked me in for a CT scan and angiogram.
Meanwhile, the original surgeon must have revisited my notes
and also booked a CT scan.
So, 2 CT scans a month apart at different hospitals. Risky
or not?
Before the dissection for years, I was cycling uphill
against the clock for fun and weight-training every weekday
for 90mins. Trout, brown rice, spinach - you get the idea. I
was doing all the right stuff, and now I can't turn over in
bed without chest pain.
I just need this addressed but I don't want to do more harm
than good.
Andy Richardson
No Spam
> At this point I went to another surgeon who has immediately booked me in
> for a CT scan and angiogram. Meanwhile, the original surgeon must have
> revisited my notes and also booked a CT scan.
>
> So, 2 CT scans a month apart at different hospitals. Risky or not?
Unless there is something changing between CTs, there is no need to
replicate such an expensive and accumulative procedure.
You should be able to have one of the doctors use the other's CT without
complaint. These are imaging files that can easily be sent via the
Internet or by burning the data to a CD you can take with you right after
the first CT is preformed.
Though two CTs performed close together are really not an problem, it's a
good practice to keep your lifetime exposure to radiation down and also
save cost.
Andrew
Thank you so much - I was a little worried that nobody could
read my post through all the junk posts in the NG.
Andy