Fluoroscopy is a medical imaging modality that is similar to regular X-rays because it uses radiation to acquire images. However, it has a unique advantage: instead of a single snapshot (still-image), it creates real-time images—like a video—of your body’s insides. It may help to think of plain X-rays like photographs and fluoroscopy like a movie of your internal organs.

Fluoroscopy is used for two main purposes: it can help diagnose what’s happening inside the body, and it can guide doctors during certain treatments or surgeries.