radiation concerns

[Anonymous]

folks- I have been concerned for the past several years about the effects of radiation for myself and my kids in health care. When I was younger I had several CAT scans and have been worried about the effects on my ovaries. A friend told me about a practice in Northern Virginia called Fairfax Radiology Consultants (fairfaxradiology.com) which has reduced radiation exposure to patients by half. They are supposedly the only group who does this in the area. I used them for my own MR and my son's CAT scan and was very impressed, not only with their attention ot radiation concerns but the whole experience as a patient.. They're only 15 minutes away from downtown Bethesda.

[bryan]

I didn't know how their reduced radiation dose, but I've been going to fairfax radiology for years, far and away the best radiology group in the area and well worth a short drive to Nova (you can always hit Tyson's for shopping afterwards . My DH is a gastroenterologist in Bethesda and encourages his patients to go there.

[Anonymous]

Is Fairfax the only group that has low radiation CAT scans? Are all their machines low dose, or do you have to request one? What about Children's Hospital? Although driving down there is worse than going to nova.

[Anonymous]

I asked a few physician friends and they say the same thing about the Fairfax radiology group. For simple things like basic x rays or ultrasounds you can go to the places in DC or Bethesda, but you're better off going to virginia if you have anything complex or need a Ct scan. And yes, they are the only place in the area that uses the lower radiation technology on all their CT or MRI scans.

[Anonymous]

MRI's do not use ionizing radiation. They use RF and electromagnetism. CT's are the big culprit because they are essentially multiple x-rays.

[Anonymous]

I remember reading a few months ago about a hospital in California that didn't realize it was overradiating its patients and had been placing them at high risk for cancer. It's scary what is going on out there and we don't even know. Our family has always used Washington Radiology and been pleased. I know they have offices in Virginia. Is that the same group?

[Anonymous]

Washington Radiology is different from Fairfax Radiology Consultants.

[Anonymous]

I ama physicist and will say that the radiation concerns in the media are a bit overblown. However, Fairfax Radiology is generally recognized as the best radiology practice in the area. The fact that they have invested in technology to address radiation concerns says alot about their commitment to their patients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ama physicist and will say that the radiation concerns in the media are a bit overblown. However, Fairfax Radiology is generally recognized as the best radiology practice in the area. The fact that they have invested in technology to address radiation concerns says alot about their commitment to their patients.

I think that the increased risk of cancer for an individual is small, a fraction of a percent over your lifetime. But that translates into a projected 1-2% increase in the number of cancer diagnoses, and if you are an epidemiologist that is significant.

[Anonymous]

still, worth getting your exams done with less radiation whenever possible. Just cancelled my cat scan appointment in Bethesda and switched it to Fairfax after talking with my doctor. They supposedly also give a precise report of how much radiation you are exposed to in each study.

[Anonymous]

I did some research. First, Fairfax Radiology is not the same as Fairfax Hospital. The radiologists work there as well as at other hospitals in Northern Virginia but the "low dose" technology is only at their outpatient offices. They have a good website where you can find out more info and see examples of their work:

www.FairfaxRadiology.com/LowDose

[Anonymous]

I just had a CAT scan at the Arlington Blvd office 2 weeks ago. My report doesn't give any radiaion dosages but does say that the radiation is 50% less with no loss in clarity. I asked my doctor about it and she said that if you need an exam, you need it period and can't worry about radiation since the risks are theoretical at these low dosages. She prefers her patients to go to Fairfax Radiology (aka "FRC") because she believes they have the best radiologists in the area, even compared to the local university hospitals.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of excessive radiation: scary article in Sunday's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/health/01radiation.html?_r=1

[Anonymous]

More evidence of why we should use Fairfax Radiology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just had a CAT scan at the Arlington Blvd office 2 weeks ago. My report doesn't give any radiaion dosages but does say that the radiation is 50% less with no loss in clarity. I asked my doctor about it and she said that if you need an exam, you need it period and can't worry about radiation since the risks are theoretical at these low dosages. She prefers her patients to go to Fairfax Radiology (aka "FRC") because she believes they have the best radiologists in the area, even compared to the local university hospitals.

Here is the problem. The numbers say that CT scans are being overused by our population. So when a doctor says you need an exam, you are not really sure that you do, or that they have weighed your exposure risk against their desire to diagnose you in the way that is easiest for them. And not all CT's are the same, but you don't know whether the doctor has made an attempt to limit the exposure.