Practice Patterns of Nonvascular Interventional Radiology Procedures at Academic Centers in the United States?1

Rationale and Objectives To determine and analyze the patterns of practice of nonvascular interventional procedures in academic centers in the United States. Materials and Methods A survey was administered via e-mail to the chief residents of 112 academic radiology departments in the United States. Recipients of the survey were asked to identify which sections within their respective radiology departments performed each of 43 types of nonvascular interventional procedures. An additional entry for performance of procedures by non-radiologists was provided. A total of 66 (59%) recipients responded. The statistical method used was the analysis of contingency tables. Results Percutaneous abdominal biopsies are performed mainly by abdominal and body imaging sections (43/66, 65%), followed by vascular/interventional sections (21/66, 32%). Percutaneous abdominal drainages are performed mostly by abdominal, body imaging, and computed tomography sections (40/66, 61%), followed by vascular/interventional sections. Fluoroscopically guided procedures were performed most commonly by vascular/interventional sections, including percutaneous gastrostomy (40/66, 61%), percutaneous nephrostomy (42/66, 64%), and biliary interventions such as percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (47/66, 71%). Breast and musculoskeletal procedures are performed by their respective sections most frequently. Non-radiologists perform a significant portion of certain types of procedures: paracenteses, thoracenteses, biliary interventions (particularly stone extractions), enterostomies (particularly percutaneous jejunostomies and cecostomies), and certain biopsies (kidney and prostate). Conclusions Academic US radiology sections perform nonvascular interventional radiology procedures in a complex and nonuniform manner. The vascular/interventional sections and organ system and modality (especially CT) sections perform the bulk of the procedures included in the survey. Breast imaging sections predominate in procedures in their disciplines. A substantial number and amount of interventional radiology procedures are performed by non-radiologists.