Fluoroscopic Imaging and Other Developments in Urology

EP: 1.Current Imaging Methods Used in Urology

EP: 2.Radiation Exposure From Imaging Assessments in Urology

EP: 3.Urology Testing: Image Quality and Clinical Outcomes

EP: 4.Advances in Imaging in Prostate Cancer

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EP: 5.Fluoroscopic Imaging and Other Developments in Urology

EP: 6.UroView: The Importance of Image Quality in the Urological Workflow

Kristie Kahl: Can you discuss fluoroscopic tables, where we are, and where we are going?

Brad Schwartz, DO, FACS: There are numerous fluoroscopic tables out there. They are quite expensive, but you are getting a very large piece of medical equipment, so it is a capitol purchase for these hospitals or surgery centers. A lot of people are moving toward cheaper, smaller alternatives, like these mobile cystoscopy tables. Those are also very good, but you do potentially decrease your imaging quality when you move to that table.

There are permanent cysto-tables that are firmly secured in the room. They are great. The things you can do with them are amazing: the variability, the surgeon independence that you have, the image control, and the table control. They are really fantastic. The image quality that we are getting with these tables is just amazing. You could do virtually any procedures on them. You can do percutaneous treatments, cystoscopies, and ureteroscopies on them. You can make it multidisciplinary. You can have GI [gastrointestinal] procedures; gastroenterology can do things on that table. They are a staple for us as urologists. We use them every single day in our practice.

Kristie Kahl: In your experience, where would you particularly use the fluoroscopic tables?

Brad Schwartz, DO, FACS: I use a fluoroscopic table during 100% of my ureteroscopy procedures. We use them for probably 30% to 40% of our percutaneous dome procedures.

Kristie Kahl: Do you have any last thoughts on the state of urological imaging and the industry as a whole?

Brad Schwartz, DO, FACS: I am excited to see what comes next. For those of us who are in the clinical world, and certainly those who dabble in the research world, this is an exciting time. We never know what is going to come out next and what is out there. All of us are always excited to see the next level of technology and the next breakthrough. We will just sit on the sideline and wait for things to happen. I am really excited to see what comes out.

Transcript edited for clarity.