title: Influence of surgeon's experience on fluoroscopy time during endourological interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fluoroscopy time influences radiation exposure of both surgeons and patients during endourological interventions. Changes in fluoroscopy habits of endourological surgeons after being informed about their fluoroscopy times were evaluated depending on their endourological experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2010 to April 2011, 402 endourological interventions in 337 Patients were assessed. Evaluated interventions were ureter stent placement (USP), ureter stent change (USC) nephrostomy change (NC), ureterorenoscopy (URS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Fluoroscopy time (FT) and operation time (OT) were recorded. For USP, USC and NC, the surgeons were divided into two groups: group I with >2 years of endourological experience and group II with <2 years experience. URS and PCNL only were performed by experienced surgeons. After 6 months, all surgeons were informed about their mean detected results. Both groups were compared, and changes in FT and OT in the second part of the study were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgeons reduced their median fluoroscopy times up to 55 % after being informed about their fluoroscopy manners. Experienced surgeons reduced both operation and fluoroscopy times significantly for USP, USC and NC. For URS and PCNL, and OT and FT, the differences were not statistically significant. Inexperienced surgeons were not able to reduce both OT and FT significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If experienced surgeons are informed about their fluoroscopy time during endourological interventions, fluoroscopy times can be reduced significantly in easy procedures, which leads to less radiation exposure of surgeons and patients. Inexperienced surgeons have less possibility to influence their fluoroscopy manners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Mannheim, 68135, Mannheim, Germany. manuel_ritter@gmx.net
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krombach
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinschek
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Häcker
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pelzer
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061646:Operative Time; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*