Your C-Arm is the workhorse of your practice, surviving hectic hospital hallways and busy operating rooms to bring thousands of dollars every day to your bottom line.  

But never forget that a C-Arm is still a very sophisticated piece of highly sensitive diagnostic imaging equipment — repairs are expensive, both in the actual cost and the revenues lost to downtime. We see a lot of repair issues that could be avoided by simple changes to your user technique. Technique during the fluoroscopy procedure is important, and even the most highly trained technicians and physicians need a refresher every now and again.  

THESE 3 THINGS CAN REDUCE C-ARM DOWNTIME!

1) Don’t have lead feet. A doctor or technician double-tapping the footswitch during a procedure can cause a system error. And make sure that the surgeons aren’t pressing on the fluoroscopy button too much because they may burn through the phosphor in the image intensifier, an expensive part to replace.

2) Don’t try to move the C-Arm when it is in a locked position! The proper procedure is: Move it / Stop it / Brake it.

Moving the arm while it’s in a locked position prematurely wears down the brake pads. If the user is putting the brake on while it is moving, that brake pad is tearing — the pad is not designed to stop a moving system.

Review the proper movement techniques to preserve brakes and locks.

3) Don’t use cables or the arm to move your C-Arm around. We see a lot of damage to the HV Cable — do not rotate your C-Arm or push or pull your C-Arm around a room by grabbing the HV Cable. There are several handles all over your C-Arm designed specifically for rotating your C-Arm and moving it around the room. We all get in a hurry, especially in a busy OR, but take a second and use those handles!

If you or your staff need a refresher course on how to use your C-Arm safely, call us at Integrity Medical 1-800-722-3646. We offer C-Arm training -- and repair service -- at low prices.