Safety, Minimization, and Awareness Radiation Training Reduces Fluoroscopy Time During Unilateral Ureteroscopy

Objective To determine the impact of Safety, Minimization and Awareness Radiation Training (SMART) on fluoroscopy time during unilateral uncomplicated ureteroscopy for urolithiasis performed by urology residents. Materials and Methods All consecutive ureteroscopy cases for urolithiasis meeting inclusion criteria and performed by first-year urology residents over a 2-year period were reviewed. Fluoroscopy times during SMART and without SMART were compared. Results A total of 202 ureteroscopy cases were reviewed. The mean patient age was 48.7 years. The mean stone diameter was 7.6 ± 3.3 mm. The mean operating time was 79.8 ± 34.3 minutes. The mean cumulative fluoroscopy time was 85.6 ± 36.9 seconds per case. A Spearman rank correlation identified 8 variables significantly correlated with fluoroscopy time, with the most significant correlation between shorter fluoroscopy time and SMART exposure (rho = 0.532; P