The Silent Epidemic in the Cath Lab: A Cardiologist’s Wake-Up Call
What happens when saving lives starts to cost your own?
Dr. Bob Foster, interventional cardiologist and co-founder of Rampart IC, opens up about the diagnosis that changed everything. What follows is a powerful and unfiltered conversation about radiation exposure, the outdated protection still used in cath labs, and the personal and professional toll it takes on frontline medical heroes.
From ruptured discs to radiation-induced DNA damage, this episode dives deep into:
Whether you're in medicine, innovation, or leadership—this episode is a wake-up call you can't ignore.
Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro, Prostate cancer, and genetic expression
00:03:30 Injuries and inadequate radiation protection in the cath lab
00:05:45 Lack of formal radiation safety training and consequenses
00:09:05 Overcoming challenges and expanding opportunities
00:15:10 Risks and challenges in the cath lab
00:21:15 Physician well-being and retention
00:26:45 Addressing occupational hazards and radiation protection
00:33:15 Abdominal shielding and radiation reduction techniques
00:39:30 Radiation exposure and cancer prevention
00:43:00 Intro to Rampart data and device considerations
00:52:10 Radiation safety and protective measures
01:04:30 Mitigating risks and impacts