September 15, 2010 – According to a study just released by IMV Medical Information Division, an estimated 21.1 million radiographic-only and radiographic fluoroscopy (RF) procedures were performed on 5,780 RF X-ray units in 2,670 hospitals with 100-plus beds. These 21.1 million procedures are estimated to have involved 18.6 million patient visits.
Of these 18.6 million patient visits, 38 percent were general radiography studies and 62 percent were fluoroscopy procedures. The fluoroscopy procedures are comprised of gastrointestinal (GI) contrast, modified swallow/speech, urinary, myelography, arthrography/ orthopedic/joint, ob/gyn, peripherally inserted central catheter lines/vascular access and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) studies.
In the previous study conducted by IMV in 2004 among hospitals with 150-plus beds, an estimated 19.3 million procedures were performed in RF rooms. When compared to 2009’s total of 17.2 million procedures for 150-plus bed hospitals, the results showed an average annual decrease of 2 percent per year.
The study also showed that the actual number of patient visits accommodated by the RF departments increased at a rate of 3.5 percent per year from 2004 to 2009. Meanwhile, it is evident that the total RF installed base has declined over the past decade, according to IMV. The 2009/10 census identifies 4,805 RF units at 2,070 hospitals with 150-plus beds, which is 24 percent less than the total of 6,360 units installed as of IMV’s 1998/99 census — an average annual RF installed base decrease of 2-3 percent per year.
The study also showed that the use of certain procedure types performed in RF rooms has shifted, with declines in GI contrast and ERCP studies, as other modalities gained preference. Other highlights of the 2009/10 Radiographic Fluoroscopy Market Summary Report are:
• 26 percent of the census sites reported plans to acquire RF units from 2009 to 2012-plus.
• Of the RF units planned for acquisition, 54 percent are planned to have a flat panel detector.
• More than half (56 percent) of installed RF units are serviced by the “manufacturer/OEM,” 42 percent by “in-house” service, 11 percent by “independent” service organizations and 7 percent by “other manufacturers.”
• Of the 18.61 million total patient visits to RF rooms in 2009, 60 percent used contrast agents (including oral and injectable contrast agents) and 40 percent did not.
The report describes trends in procedures and patient visits, installed base and purchase plans of RF imaging units, contrast media utilization, capital and contrast media budgets, and site operations characteristics. RF equipment vendors covered in this study include GE, Philips, Shimadzu, Siemens and Toshiba. The report is available with the database license, or as a separate purchase.
For more information: www.imvinfo.com
March 17, 2026 
