Interventional Cardiology & Interventional Radiology

[Bear1220]

Seems like there's a lot of overlap between interventional cardiology and interventional radiology. What're some of the differences between the two?

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[Docxter]

The domain of overlap, which is also shared with vascular surgeons is peripheral vascular interventions which interventional cardiologists are gradually getting to do. Otherwise, there's not much overlap.

 

[Resident Alien]

pretty much everyone tries to grab as much territory as he can. Greed's the name of the game the farther you specialize

 

[SoCalDreamin']

Well,for starters, interventional cardiologists have the capability to medically manage the patients they peform procedures upon, especially if there happen to be complication(s) during the procedure. Interventional radiologists usually wind up consulting another service, which I think is inappropriate. If you perform the procedure, the patient should be your responsibility and you should be able to take care of anything and everything that may result because of the intervention(s) (except for situation(s) that demand surgical intervention).

I probably stirred up a whole can of worms with this respone, but it's true.

 

[eddieberetta]

Well,for starters, interventional cardiologists have the capability to medically manage the patients they peform procedures upon, especially if there happen to be complication(s) during the procedure. Interventional radiologists usually wind up consulting another service, which I think is inappropriate. If you perform the procedure, the patient should be your responsibility and you should be able to take care of anything and everything that may result because of the intervention(s) (except for situation(s) that demand surgical intervention).

The major complication of interventional angio procedures (acute thrombosis, dissection, hemmorhage) can either be handled percutaneously or else require surgical management. Cardiologists keep CT surgeons on call 24h a day to handle their complications, albeit they are rare.

Cardiologists have no special expertise with peripheral vascular disease or its treatment -- their role in peripheral intervention is solely for financial benefit (this is aptly demonstrated by the fact that carotid stenting was unsafely used by many cardiologists even when there was no evidence base, and prior to the advent of distal protection).

In terms of the OPs question, IR involves percutaneous preocedures like biopsy, HepatoBil intervention, injections, draininge and body/neuro angiography and related precedures (embo, coil etc). Int cards includes primarily cardiac angiography and stenting and as discussed above, peripheral intervention as well.