Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
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Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Q. What is interventional radiology?
A. Interventional radiology is the medical specialty devoted to advancing patient care through the innovative integration of clinical and imaging-based diagnosis and minimally invasive therapy.
Q. Who are interventional radiologists?
A. Interventional radiologists are doctors who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments performed using imaging for guidance. They use their expertise in reading X-rays, ultrasound, MRI and other diagnostic imaging, to guide tiny instruments, such as catheters, through blood vessels or throughthe skin to treat diseases without surgery. Interventional radiologists are board-certified and fellowship trained in minimally invasive interventions using imaging guidance. The American Board of Medical Specialties certifies their specialized training. Your interventional radiologist will work closely with your primary care or other physician to be sure you receive the best possible care.
Q. How do interventional radiology procedures work?
A. Interventional radiologists use imaging, like X-rays or MRIs, to see inside a patient’s body, pinpoint where the problem is and map out how to get there without surgery. Interventional radiologists then guide catheters through the vascular system, other pathways in the body, or through the skin, to treat disease or tumors directly at the source, via a small nick in the skin and X-ray guidance.
Q. Is interventional radiology a new specialty?
A. No. Advances in diagnostic imaging gave rise to interventional radiology in the mid 1970s by combining specialized training in nonsurgical techniques with imaging. Interventional radiologists pioneered modern medicine with the invention of angioplasty and the first catheter delivered stent, which were initially used to treat blocked arteries in the legs, saving patients from surgery or amputation.
Q. What are the advantages of interventional radiology procedures?
A. While no treatment is risk free, the risks of interventional radiology procedures are far lower than the risks of open surgery, and are a major advance in medicine for patients.
- Most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis or require only a short hospital stay
- General anesthesia is usually not required
- Risk, pain and recovery time are often significantly reduced
- Procedures can be less expensive than surgery or other alternatives\
Q. How safe is the radiation during the treatment?
A. The highest standards of patient safety have been incorporated into the development of these procedures, because interventional radiology and diagnostic radiology training programs include radiation safety, radiation physics, the biological effects of radiation and injury prevention. The FDA, hospitals, state regulatory groups and other medical specialists that are involved in the practice of interventional procedures use our published standards, which include training, experience, technique and patient care.