Michail Kokkorakis
A lucent specialty Interventional radiology December 28th, 2017 - the day I decided to pursue a medical career. Attending a triple bypass surgery was something so mind-boggling to me that I fell in love with this field immediately. Entering med school to become a surgeon is quite a cliché, I am not gonna lie, but it was what fascinated me at that time. Having finished the first year of my studies, I have acquired a better understanding of some specialities. Until recently, I still believed that surgery was the specialty I could imagine myself doing in the future. So what changed? On a not so busy day in May, I was scrolling through some TEDx talks, and I came across one called “Saving mothers through a pinhole” by Dr. Gregory Makris. As the title was very strange (but definitely eye-catching), I clicked on it without a second thought. On that day the secret world of interventional specialties unraveled in front of me. So let me enlighten you on what it is about. Charles Theodore Dotter is considered to be the “Father of Interventional Radiology” as he utilized the body’s vascular network to reach every possible target (organ or tissue) with a wire. This notion has developed to minimally invasive image-guided (with X-Rays, ultrasound, CT, and MRI scans) surgeries that are highly accurate. It is needless to say that interventional radiologists are involved in all kinds of specialties and this is a particularly important asset for those who easily get bored with a daily routine.
16
What can be treated using these techniques? Sites of internal bleeding can be accessed and stopped, blocked arteries can be unblocked, venous problems can be resolved and even a stroke or cancer can be treated! It is also noteworthy that oftentimes no general anesthesia is required and the operation can proceed with only local anesthesia. As the operation is minimally invasive, complications are fewer and the duration of the patient’s stay in the hospital is very short, many patients are discharged on the same day.
“Interventional radiology is involved in all kinds of specialties” To those of you who think that this sounds interesting, a question may arise: how do I become an Interventional Radiologist (IR)? Well, it depends on the country. For those of you who are interested in pursuing a medical career in the U.S. you need to sit some exams called “USMLE” to grant you entry to local medical
