PGI expands radiology services to cut waiting time for patients

Chandigarh, December 2

Interventional radiology section of the Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGI, has been expanded with the addition of new rooms at Interventional Radiology Clinic (IR Clinic) situated on the ground floor of Nehru Hospital for carrying out image-guided biopsies and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).

Interventional radiology specialists perform minimally invasive procedures to treat cancer and manage certain side effects of the disease and its treatment. Its benefits include less pain, lower risk and shorter recovery time compared with the traditional surgery. It’s a unique subspecialty in the field of medical imaging because it uses radiology modalities and image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures and treatments. This can potentially reduce the need for surgery and improve patient experience.

Dr MS Sandhu, Professor and Head, Department of Radiodiagnosis, PGI, said the utility of interventional radiology procedures was that those could access the deeper structures of the body through a tiny incision using small needles, catheters and wires. This greatly expedited the recovery of patients compared to open surgical procedures.

In the IR clinic, the patients requiring these image-guided procedures are assessed and scheduled. Also, patients, in whom the IR procedures have been done, are regularly followed up for determining their outcome. Around 50 to 60 extra FNACs are now being done in this new intervention area each week, which is a huge benefit for the waiting patients. This has contributed immensely to reducing the waiting period for these important procedures.

While inpatients and emergency cases are done the same or the next day, outpatients have their scheduling done within a week or 10 days, said Professor Sandhu. Earlier the waiting period for these patients was around five weeks.

Outpatients to benefit

While inpatients and emergency cases are done the same or the next day, outpatients have their scheduling done within a week or 10 days, said Professor Sandhu. Earlier the waiting period for these patients was around five weeks.