Interventional Imaging

A subspecialty of interventional radiology (IR) uses image-guided, minimally-invasive procedures to diagnose and treat various diseases. Interventional radiologists rely on angiography, mobile C-arm and fluoroscopy imaging systems to perform thrombolysis, embolization, biopsies, vascular and other minimally invasive procedures, which can reduce recovery time, risk and costs. Find more IR content on the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) page.

Rad techs helpfully ‘stand in a surgeon’s shoes’ thanks to virtual reality
Johns Hopkins researchers demonstrated the worthiness of the concept this year.
CT angiograms help providers 'cut to the chase' when triaging severe headaches in the ED
In the past, when initial CT scans didn’t uncover anything suspicious, patients were often referred for a lumbar puncture to check for blood in their spinal fluid. But those recommendations have started to change.
Boston Scientific recalls premixed embolic agent after two deaths
There have been a total of 11 incidents so far, including seven injuries and two deaths. Boston Scientific said the agent can still be used if operators follow specific instructions during lower GI bleed embolization procedures.
SIR releases new guidance on the use of interventional radiology in pediatric trauma care
Interventional procedures play an integral role in managing traumatic pediatric injuries nonoperatively, though specific guidelines for the use of endovascular interventions in this setting have not been fully defined prior to these latest recommendations.
Cardiology, radiology groups urge insurance provider to rethink imaging policy
SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound.

Light-powered 3D imaging system guides vascular surgeries without X-ray

The Philips LumiGuide utilizes a fiber optic guidewire with AI-assisted recognition to map the body arteries with light.

February 22, 2024

Example of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) shown as part of the multimodality imaging capability on the Fujifilm CVIS.

Cardiologists, radiologists and surgeons push for increased adoption of IVUS during peripheral vascular interventions

Increasing the use of intravascular ultrasound when performing lower-extremity revascularization procedures could limit complications and improve patient outcomes, according to new recommendations from several medical societies.

January 9, 2024

Video interview with Richard Heller, MD, RSNA Board member, associate chief medical officer for health policy and communications, and national director of pediatric radiology at Radiology Partners, explains the impact of the 2024 Medicare cuts on radiology and what comes next. #RSNA #RSNZA23 #RSNA2023 #CMS #Radiology

Putting US radiology reimbursement cuts in context and what comes next

Richard Heller, MD, a member of the RSNA Board and associate CMO for Rad Partners, explains the impact of the 2024 Medicare cuts and what is at stake.

December 11, 2023

Speaker laments radiology’s major contribution to climate change

Jonathan Gross, MD, argues that diagnostic and interventional radiology were “not developed with sustainability in mind.”

December 7, 2023

radiology structured reporting data mining

Data mining of structured radiology reports yields advantageous insights

Datapoints contained in structured radiology reports can be readily mined to guide decisions around long-term clinical, business and population-health aims.

September 1, 2023

Lack of exposure to interventional radiology during medical school spells trouble for the future

New data derived from the survey responses of fourth year medical students reveal a significant gap in students’ exposure to and knowledge of the specialty.

July 20, 2023

Interventional radiology has a representation problem, according to surveyed medical students

Gaps in mentorship are of particular concern for students who might have otherwise pursued a career path in IR, data show.

July 19, 2023

Many physicians are unaware that interventional radiology is a distinct specialty

This could pose as a barrier to referrals for image-guided interventions for radiologists specializing in IR, authors of a new paper in Clinical Imaging suggested.

July 17, 2023

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans.

Radiology Business

Google teams with Bayer to address radiologist burnout via AI

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday.

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiology, radiology groups urge insurance provider to rethink imaging policy

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound.