Fluoroscopy Suite Lead Walls/ floor

[Painologist]

That fellow who is starting his own practice is here again. I have found a great location and will need to convert a room to a fluoro suite (may add 5 feet in width). I have looked at the guidelines in my state and will need leaded walls and floor in my fluoro suite. Does anyone have experience adding this to an existing room? Do you typically have to tear down the walls and replace with leaded drywall or can it be added on top of existing drywall? How about floors? How much does this typically cost?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[hyperalgesia]

That fellow who is starting his own practice is here again. I have found a great location and will need to convert a room to a fluoro suite (may add 5 feet in width). I have looked at the guidelines in my state and will need leaded walls and floor in my fluoro suite. Does anyone have experience adding this to an existing room? Do you typically have to tear down the walls and replace with leaded drywall or can it be added on top of existing drywall? How about floors? How much does this typically cost?

Never heard that before for a portable c-arm. Would verify with your state dept of health before tearing apart your floor...

 

[runfastnow]

Agree with above - double check with state department or get a physicist to do the calculations if you haven't already. Our C-arm rep was able to provide us with the contact for a physicist that does that type of work. If you have some pain friends in town check with what they had to do. Leading that much of the room seems excessive.

Never heard of floor lead before for fluoro suite in commercial building. In regards to the walls - yes, typically tear out old drywall and replace with leaded drywall.

Our practice renovated some unused clinic space that we used to rent out into a fluoro suite - turned two clinic rooms into one fluoro suite, leaded one wall that backs up to our billing office, purchased used GE 9800, and a new fluoro table. Ended up around $100k for everything (roughly 50/50 reno/equipment). Should be paid off in a year from procedures done in the room. Do everything but cervical ESIs and RFs in office now (didn't seem worth it to purchase RF at the moment). Patients happier doing procedures in office instead of ASC/hospital.

 

[pastafan]

Why would you tear out sheet rock? Just add a layer to it if required.

 

[Pain Applicant1]

I started my own practice too after fellowship and I also own a construction company. I agree with all of the above. Have a physicist who is registered with your state's health department to do the measurements to help determine whether or not leaded drywall is needed.

If you don't care if it looks precise I would just put the leaded sheets on top, tape it, mud it and paint it. Find the studs with a stud finder. They should be about every 16 inches apart and then king and jack studs at the doors and windows. If you do care for it to look precise, you'll have to remove the current sheetrock or the trim work won't match up, unless you build it out. It will also depend on if you have baseboard or that vinyl wall base stuff.

 

[Pain Applicant1]

BTW, I thought I had to add leaded drywall too but once the physicist did the evaluation he told me I wouldn't need it.

I've never installed lead as I never had to but I imagine for the floor it probably lays down as leaded sheets. If required, probably the easiest thing to do would be to lay sheets on top of your current floor or subfloor if there's nothing there now. Then lay flooring on top. I'd recommend LVP. It should be able to go right on top of the lead with no underlayment required for most plank styles but check with the manufacturer. I've installed a lot of it and it's pretty easy to work with. It's waterproof, kid-proof, and pet-proof and the carm should roll smoothly across it. It's resilient and should be able to handle the wheels from the carm if you opt for a thicker more expensive version. Plus, it's pretty easy to install and looks great.