| Specializing in cardiac and vascular-interventional | | | | vascular-interventional-radiography you will be trained |
| radiography is a challenging career choice for a | | | | to perform imaging modalities including computed |
| medical doctor, but it is also a rewarding and lucrative | | | | tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance |
| choice due to the specialized nature of this work. | | | | imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US). The fastest and |
| Cardiac and vascular-interventional radiography is a | | | | most accurate techniques are computed tomography |
| subspecialty in the field of radiography that is | | | | and fluoroscopy, but these are also the most |
| dedicated to cardiovascular imaging and image guided | | | | potentially harmful to the doctor and patient. Magnetic |
| surgery. It will take many years of schooling and | | | | resonance imaging offers excellent images with high |
| training, but you will be able to enjoy a high paying | | | | tissue contrast, but it is expensive and requires some |
| career involving the diagnoses and treatment of | | | | of the most specialized instruments in this field. |
| various illnesses once it's all through. | | | | Ultrasound imaging is fast and inexpensive, but it often |
| The great thing about cardiac and | | | | produces images with lower quality and tissue contrast |
| vascular-interventional radiography is the minimally | | | | problems. You will have to decide when one method is |
| invasive nature of these imaging exams and | | | | preferable over another depending on the situation. |
| treatments. As a radiographer you will be trained to | | | | The training you will need to complete to become a |
| use images to direct interventional procedures with | | | | cardiac and vascular-interventional radiologist will |
| needles and catheters in order to diagnose and treat | | | | include the completion of a four-year bachelor's |
| diseases. These specialized procedures reduce | | | | degree, four years of medical school, a preliminary |
| infections and shorten recovery time compared to | | | | year of training (internship), a four year diagnostic |
| other intervention techniques. There has been a myriad | | | | radiology residency program, and a one or two year |
| of advancements in this field since the 1970s, after the | | | | fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology. It |
| Seldinger technique and other improved methods were | | | | sounds like a lot, and it is, but many people find that the |
| introduced. | | | | rewards of this important career are worth the initial |
| As a medical doctor specializing in cardiac and | | | | hardships. |