Benefits

Fluoroscopy is used in a wide variety of examinations and procedures to diagnose or treat patients. Some examples are:

• Barium X-rays and enemas (to view the gastrointestinal tract)

• Catheter insertion and manipulation (to direct the movement of a catheter through blood vessels, bile ducts or the urinary system)

• Placement of devices within the body, such as stents (to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels)

• Angiograms (to visualize blood vessels and organs)

• Orthopedic surgery (to guide joint replacements and treatment of fractures)

 

 

 

 

 

Information for Patients

Fluoroscopy procedures are performed to help diagnose disease, or to guide physicians during certain treatment procedures. Some fluoroscopy procedures may be performed as outpatient procedures while the patient is awake – for example, upper gastrointestinal series to examine the esophagus, stomach and small intestine, or a barium enema to examine the colon.

 

Other procedures are performed as same-day hospital procedures or sometimes as inpatient procedures, typically while the patient is sedated – for example, cardiac catheterization to examine the heart and the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Still other fluoroscopy procedures may be performed under general anesthesia during surgery – for example to help align and fix fractured bones.

 

The clinical benefit of a medically appropriate X-ray imaging exam outweighs the small radiation risk. The FDA encourages patients and parents of pediatric patients to engage in a discussion with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of fluoroscopy procedures (see the Medical X-ray Imaging webpage for advice on questions to ask your health care provider).