How did interventional radiology develop?
The improved ability of radiologists to see inside the body gave rise to interventional radiology – minimally invasive targeted treatments performed using imaging for guidance – in the mid-1970s. Interventional radiologists invented angioplasty and the first catheter-delivered stent, which was first used in the legs, to save patients with vascular disease from amputation or other surgery. These advances pioneered modern medicine and gave rise to the state-of-the-art treatments that are commonplace today. Interventional radiology is a medical specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Medical Association. Today there are more than 5,000 interventional radiologists in the United States. The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the professional association of interventional radiologists based in Fairfax, Va., has seen its membership steadily increase to more than 4,000 worldwide in 2004. What are the advantages of interventional radiology? • M
