Interventional radiology and the need for specialist status in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The demand for Interventional Radiology (IR) has seen it become one of the fastest growing diagnostic and therapeutic clinical modalities.1 Involving minimally invasive procedures using radiological image guidance, IR can be used to diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions from uterine fibroids to deep vein thromboses.1 This rapidly changing field has seen many procedures previously requiring surgical interventions being replaced by interventional radiologists using image-guided procedures, reducing patient recovery time and improving health outcomes.