CT Scans - Chest X-Rays and Stress-Tests How much radiation have you been exposed to?

[jake]

So after surviving surgery and a fairly uneventful recovery, it’s now time for follow up and some new issues. I am 45 years old and before accidentally being diagnosed with an aortic aneurism, I had never had a CT scan in my life! Only 5 years later, I have had 6, with at least 5 chest X-rays, and a host of fluoroscope events (stress-tests, heart cath's etc), and non-cardiac related X-rays (dental, orthopedic stuff etc).

So here is my question to those of you who wish to participate:

Sense being diagnosed, how many CT Scans, Fluoroscope events and X rays have you had to undergo?

For me it has been:

6 CT's
5 Chest X-Rays
10 Fluoroscope events

I don’t expect anyone out here to tell me how much is too much radiation particularly considering the alternative to radiation (dying of a dissection) but for Pete's sake, why can’t post surgery follow up be done with MRI?

I also know that the effects of radiation are cumulative and time between radiological events means absolutely nothing! I know that a flight to California from New York is like getting like 10 chest X-rays, but not aimed directly at my thorax!

Anyway, I would be interested in getting your views on this and see how much radiation your doctors are prescribing to the rest of us.

 

[Freddie]

Well it's been almost 4 years since my surgery and I had 1 Chest X-ray about 3 months post-op and 1 MRI last year (of my head) 1 dental X-Ray.
No CT's, no stress-tests, no Fluoroscope except for my yearly echo, so maybe that's 5 echo's(?)

P.S.
add 1 angiogram

 

[Greg a]

IT seems that because I have no sternum (and it is so rare) ...almost every Dr. I see wants a full set of chest pics ( I think they order wallet size for parties) my wife tells me that both times I was in a coma there was almost always someone nearby with a lead apron on and so when I came home she was cautious to turn off the lights in case I really did start to glow...........the alternative to no imaging would be to get in the car and start a trip without a map......imaging a necesssary evil for a course of treatment and damn I wish I could fold a road map.........there is anither frustration kids yoday are missing with GPS LOL

 

[ottagal]

Interesting thread, Jake and we are close in age. One of the surprises for me after OHS was how much radiation I received in such a short time. I was not expecting that. One of the reasons this happened was because of pulmonary complications post-op.

Over a period of 6 weeks I had a total of
2 CT angiograms, 1 CT scan and 13 Chest x-rays.

As a child I also had 2 heart caths (angiograms) and have had numerous chest and dental xrays over the years.

I sure hope that I will be able to get MRI's in the future. I think I have reached my radiation quota.

 

[Bina]

Before 2005 there were a lifetime variety of: dental x-rays, hip x-ray, hand x-ray, shoulder x-ray etc.

In the past 5 years since my cardiac "episode":

Zero CT scans
1 angiogram
1 or 2 chest X-rays
2 dental X-rays

 

[nngbwh]

I am 46 years old never had a CT scans or MRI in my life until I was diagnosed with a aortic aneurysm and type A aortic dissection. So far I had 1 CT scans, 1 MRI and 3 chests x-rays.

 

[Lynlw]

I would ask your doctor why you can't have yearly MRIs instead of CTs?
Justin has had 5 OHS (plus 2 other heart related surgeries) and too many echos to count - he had 53 before he was 2 years old (and in and out of the hospital about 8 months in out of his 1st 2 years,)

He also had between 10-15 caths (lost count)
He usually has MRI/MRAs every year or so for the past few years, but ONLY had 1 CT and that was to check for a pulmonary embolism when he was readmitted post op for what turned out to be a sternal infection.

His heart docs don't order routine CTs or even Xrays on him because of the radiation

He also had a broken arm that needed rods put in and a couple months later removed that did involve alot of Xrays

 

[Duff Man]

way too many. I lost count. I'll probably have cancer as a result.