Residents have the opportunity to participate in the gamut of image-guided procedures offered at UVMMC, mostly through the Interventional Radiology division. These include CT and US guided biopsies and drainages; CT and US guided microwave and cryo ablations; arterial embolizations for trauma, gastrointestinal bleeding, hemoptysis, as well as uterine artery and prostatic artery embolization; catheter directed tumor embolization including TACE and TARE with Y-90; TIPS; biliary drainage and stent placement; nephrostomy and nephrouretral stent placement; endovascular arterial angioplasty and stent placement; venous thrombolysis including IVC filter and DVT/PE lysis; and vascular access.
Procedures are performed in 5 angiography suites including a bi-plane suite and a dedicated CT procedure suite. In addition to the Interventional Radiology division, procedures are also performed by other Radiology divisions.
The Neurointerventional Radiology division, staffed by 2 sub-specialized neurointeventional radiologists, performs all cerebral angiography as well as catheter directed stroke treatment and spine biopsies and injections. The Musculoskeletal division, staffed by 4 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal attendings, performs all fluoroscopy-guided arthrography and analgesic injections as well as ultrasound guided analgesic injections. The Breast Imaging division, staffed by 6 attendings, performs all ultrasound, stereotactic, and MRI guided breast biopsies, aspirations, and needle localizations. The Ultrasound division performs all ultrasound-guided thyroid nodule fine-needle aspirations. Cardiothoracic procedures including lung and mediastinal biopsies as well as pleural drainage catheter placement and thoracentesis are divided between the Interventional Radiology and Cardiothoracic division.
Up to two residents per year may participate in the Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) pathway. In this pathway the 1st two years of training is the same for all radiology residents which includes 1 rotation in IR during both 1st and 2nd years. 2nd year residents interested in participating in the ESIR pathway inform program leadership by the end of March of their 2nd year. Residents in the ESIR pathway will then complete 2 rotations in IR during their 3rd year, 5 rotations in IR during their 4th year, and 3 IR-related rotations (such as Neuro IR, Chest IR, Musculoskeletal procedures, Breast procedures, or Vascular surgery) as well as an ICU rotation.
General information about the ESIR pathway can be found at the SIR website: https://www.sirweb.org/learning-center/ir-residency/esir/.