Doctor Miguel Barrio, member of the Communication Commission of the Sociedad Española de Radiología Vascular e Intervencionista (SERVEI) and specialist at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN), has emphasized that this branch of Medicine "has transformed the care of countless patients" and, "however, it continues to be a great unknown to society."
In his view, "the time has come for Vascular and Interventional Radiology to stop being one of the best-kept secrets of modern medicine," since he considers that it "represents a new way of understanding Medicine" by "treating diseases from within, guided by imaging and minimizing the impact on the body." As he has recalled, "part of the radiologists not only diagnoses diseases, but also treats them."
On the occasion of World Radiology Day, which is observed this Sunday, 8 November, Barrio has highlighted that this specialty integrates high-precision imaging technology, minimally invasive navigation, advanced devices and personalized therapies, which makes it possible to address numerous pathologies today through minimally invasive techniques whose demand has increased notably in recent years.
However, he has admitted that "when we think of a radiologist, most of us imagine a doctor who interprets X-rays, CT scans or MRIs." "However, there is a reality that even surprises many healthcare professionals," he has stressed, with reference to the therapeutic role of these specialists. Thus, vascular and interventional radiologists "are able to stop a potentially fatal internal hemorrhage without the need for open surgery, destroy certain tumors using image-guided ablation techniques, treat aneurysms, open obstructed blood vessels, drain deep infections or carry out complex procedures that -just a few decades ago- required major surgical interventions".
Advantages for patients and for the healthcare organization
As he has explained, these interventions provide benefits that turn out to be "especially evident from the patient’s perspective," since most are carried out through very small incisions or simple punctures. This usually translates into less physical aggression, less pain, fewer complications, shorter recovery times and reduced hospital stays.
At the same time, for healthcare systems, these techniques are associated with "the reduction of prolonged income, the lower need for complex postoperative care and earlier recovery", factors that "contribute to more efficient use of hospital resources", he has said.
For all these reasons, Barrio believes that "perhaps the most striking aspect of Interventional Radiology is the paradox that comes with it", since "thousands of patients benefit each year from procedures carried out by interventional radiologists who, often, are decisive for their survival or quality of life". "However, they do so without even knowing the existence of this specialty", he concluded, stressing the need to make it known to the general population.