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Interventional
Radiology is a specialty in which radiologists diagnose
and treat disease non-operatively. The interventional radiologist
uses catheters, guidewires, needles, balloons, stents, and
other devices with radiological imaging to perform procedures
that are often alternatives to surgery. These procedures,
which may be categorized as vascular (angiography) and non-vascular
(e.g., decompression and drainage of obstructed kidneys
and bile ducts), are performed in an interventional radiology
suite and are often done on an outpatient basis. Many procedures
that were previously performed surgically are now accomplished
by an interventional radiologist with less morbidity and
a shorter hospital stay. These procedures include thrombolysis,
balloon angioplasty and stenting, central venous access,
and percutaneous feeding tube placement.
Interventional
radiology is constantly evolving as new techniques and technologies
are developed and applied to enhance patient care. Because
of the invasive nature of many of the procedures performed,
interventional radiologists tend to be more involved in
patient care. Patients undergoing procedures are routinely
worked up by the interventional radiology service and are
subsequently followed up post-procedure. This "all inclusive"
type of clinical service underlines that there is more to
interventional radiology than simply doing procedures.
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