Interventional radiologists are medical specialists who use imaging guidance to perform targeted minimally invasive procedures for patient across a broad range of medical problems.
A doctor, after completing medical school, will complete on average 2-3 yrs as a general medical/surgical hospital based doctor prior to entering general radiology training which is currently a 5 year specialty which involves anatomy, medical physics, pathology and the study or radiology (medical imaging) as well as interventional radiology. An additional fellowship in interventional radiology is then undertaken prior to commencing as an interventional radiologist.
Because most interventional radiologists practice in large teaching hospitals and receive their referrals mostly from specialists at these hospitals, unfortunately there is little awareness in the public eye of the new technologies and approaches that are available through interventional radiology to treat various conditions from cancers to blocked arteries and veins. These technologies can often provide a less invasive solution to common medical and surgical problems and are routinely employed in teaching hospital medicine.
The links below may help with further information:
Society of Interventional Radiology – Who are Interventional Radiologists?