title: Radiation dose to the surgeon during plaque brachytherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the radiation dose to a surgeon's hands during I eye plaque procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen consecutive patients with uveal melanomas were scheduled for eye plaque brachytherapy. The same surgeon wore thermoluminescent dosimeters on the dominant index finger and thumb while placing and removing the eye plaque to measure radiation dose. Additional laboratory experiments were performed to measure unobstructed (by surgical gloves or other parts of the hand) radiation exposure from a plaque.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hand radiation doses during eye plaque brachytherapy are very low, but measurable, with plaques containing an average of 1.3 GBq of 125I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using these data, a surgeon would need to perform more than 1,000 cases each year to approach or exceed the annual regulatory radiation dose limits for the extremities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Safety, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. classic.kelly@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Classic
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Furutani
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Jose S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pulido
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006225:Hand / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009873:Operating Rooms; D009885:Ophthalmology; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes