Interventional What?

Perhaps a call to action is upon us to find a more recognizable and encompassing term we can ascribe to our specialty that more creatively captures the delicate and critical procedures we perform.

 It’s easy to love interventional radiology

Using minimally invasive techniques means that in my field, we use the lowest impact access known to do the work, get in and get out! That often means a quicker recovery, less pain, and less cost for the patient (and the system)!

 The IR Hospitalist: Hospital MVP or Glorified Trash Collector?

What do I mean by trash collection? I am referring to doing image-guided procedures which were once not under the purview of the radiology department which have quickly become commoditized and outsourced to your friendly neighborhood IR Hospitalist.

IR procedures

Interventional radiology (IR) is a radiological subdiscipline providing minimally invasive treatments performed under image guidance. As technology advances and high-quality imaging equipment becomes more widely available, IR is able to offer patients and referral physicians a growing number of new treatment options.

Radiology Was Young, and So Was I

Whether for convenience or frugality, many doctors, even in a technically oriented field like radiology, practiced in a home office until shortly after World War II. As I turn 70 today, I am reminded of this piece of Americana that has largely disappeared. Into the 1970s, X-rays helped detect many diseases, but changed the course of few.

Radiology Was Young, and So Was I

Radiology has made major advances since Wilhelm K. Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895 in Germany, providing the first opportunity to see inside a body without opening it up. CT scans take radiographic slices of the body in details Roentgen could not have imagined. Interventional radiologists perform surgery guided by X-ray images to stop bleeding from the intestines, prevent some strokes and treat other problems. Use of radium furthered development of other radioactive isotopes that produce images to detect thyroid and other glandular abnormalities.

The Economics of Interventional Radiology

Being minimally invasive also means that in many circumstances, IR procedures are an improvement upon the conventional treatment in that they are more effective and less costly. Using imaging to guide biopsy is an example of this, as the alternative (e.g. an open surgical biopsy) is likely to have higher risks and be more expensive.

The rocky road to recognizing interventional radiology as a full clinical speciality

Over the past decades, interventional radiology (IR) has made significant progress in technological applications, quality of care, training, expansion, and even recognition. The historical challenges IR faces have deepened in the past ten years or so, following the remarkable success of image-guided minimally invasive surgery.

Why Interventional Radiology?

Interventional Radiology (IR) is a unique subspecialty in the medical imaging field because it uses radiology modalities and image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures and treatments. This can potentially reduce the need for surgery and improve the patient experience.