 Interventional Radiology (IR) is a rapidly growing specialty that is included in the field of Minimally Invasive Therapy, or in plain English, "bandaid surgery". The IR specialty has only been recognized for about 25 years. As advances in technology (e.g. fiberoptics, lasers and endoscopy) have allowed surgery to be performed through smaller and smaller incisions there have been improvements in imaging with x-rays (CT and flouroscopy), magnetic fields (MR scanning) and sound waves (ultrasound) that allow treatments to be performed that replace or are complementary to traditional surgery. Some examples of these procedures are:
- balloon angioplasty (a narrowed blood vessel is stretched to improve blood flow)
- thrombolysis (blood clots are dissolved to improve blood flow)
- embolization (materials are injected through a catheter to decrease blood flow to tumors or abnormal blood vessels); and,
- catheter drainage (catheters are inserted into abscesses or blocked kidneys or
livers)
Major advantages of these procedures are that, in general, they cost less, are less painful, and are associated with less risk than major surgery. Some procedures can be performed on outpatients, eliminating the need for overnight stays in the hospital.
The University Hospital currently has three radiologists who are board certified (have special credentials) in these procedures. Due to the growing use of these techniques the department plans to hire an additional 2 or 3 specialists in the near future. Dr. Alspaugh has been performing these procedures for twenty years and he sees no end in the near future to the growth of this exciting method of treatment.
To find out more about interventional radiology, go to www.scvir.org
AlspauJP@healthall.com
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