Interventional radiology in low- and middle-income countries

Hashaam Jamil; Waleed Tariq; Muhammad Atif Ameer; Muhammad Sohaib Asghar; Hamid Mahmood; Muhammad Junaid Tahir; Zohaib Yousaf

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103594

Interventional radiology in low- and middle-income countries

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Apr 5:77:103594. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103594. eCollection 2022 May.

Authors

Hashaam Jamil¹, Waleed Tariq¹, Muhammad Atif Ameer², Muhammad Sohaib Asghar³, Hamid Mahmood¹, Muhammad Junaid Tahir¹, Zohaib Yousaf⁴

Affiliations

¹ Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
² University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Weston-Super Mare, UK.
³ Dow University of Health Sciences-Ojha Campus, Karachi, Pakistan.
⁴ Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

With advancements in imaging techniques, interventional radiology (IR) has found an increased utility in multiple diseases such as ischemic stroke, tissue biopsies, oncology, trauma, etc. The benefit has been twofold in being minimally invasive and improved outcomes. IR in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still in its nascent phase. The many hurdles include poorly structured post-graduate training, cost of procedures, and lack of awareness among referring physicians. There is a significant need to increase the trained specialists' awareness among the medical community and rationalize the cost of procedures in LMICs with careful consideration, planning, and international economic and technical assistance.

Keywords: CT scan; Intervention; LMIC; MRI; Radiology.