Digital X-ray and radiation exposure

Our X-ray photographs are made directly on a high resolution detector panel with CSi-scintillator. Thus we get excellent imaging results at a miminum of radiation exposure.

Our X-ray equipment measures the dose of radiation and allows further digital processing of your image displayed on the monitor directly in front of you.

Should you already have X-ray pictures, please bring them along on your visit so that further unnecessary X-raying can be avoided.

Pregnancy?

Please inform us if you are or if you suspect that you are pregnant. In this case we would like to avoid radiographs and do not perform any X-rays of your pelvis and lower lumbar spine.

However, should an X-ray exam become absolutely necessary, we can assure you that X-rays in which the uterus is not radiographed (extremeties, head, hips, cervical and thoracic spine) do not pose a health risk according to radiation protection experts.

Please keep in mind that sometimes injuries or illnesses cannot be detected without an X-ray exam. Therfore, performing an X-ray might help avoid health complications in the future.

Comparison of radiation exposure

Our radiology equipment exposes you to a minimum amount of radiation and X-rays only the section concerned.

For diagnostic purposes, X-ray examinations and their findings can be beneficial for good health and the benefits are tremendous in diagnosing disease. Thus, the benefits exceed by far the risks from such low doses. Moreover, the rate of radiation you are exposed to should always be looked at in relation to 'natural' radiation:

Annual natural radiation
soil/air (radon),cosmic radiation, nutrition
approx. 2,1mSv per annum
Airline pilot
up to approx. 5 mSv per annum
Transatlantic flight (round trip to San Francisco)
approx. 0,1 mSv (0,009mSv per hour)
1 non-filter cigarette
up to approx. 0,07 mSv
One week of hiking/skiing (at an elevation of 3000 m)
up to 0,02 mSv
Computer tomography of the spinal column
approx. 2-11 mSv
X-raying the extremeties (hand, foot)
approx. 0,01 mSV (equivalent to a 1.3-day visit to Switzerland)

The natural risk of dying from cancer is 24%. Radiation exposure of 10mSv (approx. 1,000 radiographs of extremeties) increases this risk statistically by 0.05%. This is comparable with the increase in mortality if you spend 450 days in London (air pollution etc.) or 540 days in an apartment together with a smoker.