Saleem, Taimur

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EDITORIALBridging the divide between the surgeonand the interventional radiologist: cooperationor/and competition?Taimur SaleemReceived: 16 June 2009 /Accepted: 18 June 2009 /Published online: 2 July 2009# Springer-Verlag 2009The cosmos of medicine is currently witnessing technolog-ical advancements at a breathtaking pace. Innovativetechniques are being engineered and novel agents are beingdiscovered or invented to combat the scourge of death anddisease. However, this dynamic state of flux is not withoutconsequences. It has blurred the classic black and whitedemarcation between the various disciplines of medicine[1].The domains of surgery and radiology, in particular, areintersecting at many junctions now. Radiology is no longerconfined to the dark reading rooms and the radiologist is nolonger a doctor who experiences minimal interaction withthe patients. Emphasis is being placed on communicationsand interpersonal skills training for radiologists in view ofthe expanding practice of the discipline [2]. Surgery too isundergoing transformation. As the paradigm of patient careis changing, more emphasis is being placed on minimizingthe recovery time from interventions as well as the amountand quality of pain experienced by the patient. Hence,minimally invasive approaches are being championed bymost quarters [1]. Under such circumstances, conventionalinvasive surgery has taken a backseat. The advent ofinterventional radiology on the horizon of medicine isgradually dissolving the traditional boundaries with varioussurgical disciplines. It has added the “therapeutic” dimen-sion to the repertoire of radiology and radiologists are nowconducting interventions in “mini-operating” theaters inliaison with anesthesia personnel [1].As the two disciplines of surgery and interventionalradiology inch closer to each other in the face of limitedresources [1], one is naturally concerned with the outcomeof a face-off [3]. It is important to recognize the potentialfor such a collision and the entropy it can create. The needof the hour is to devise strategies to bridge the dividebetween the two disciplines that has every potential tomorph into an undesirable chasm.The future of medicine should involve the use of amultidisciplinary approach to help the patient in needwhere different departments can freely engage in dialog.The realization should be that the destination is onethough different routes may be used to reach it. Anintegration of the two disciplines into a single “surgol-ogy” discipline [4] is perhaps neither the most viableoption nor a seamless onus. The surgeon and interven-tional radiologist have to coexist within the same systemand honest and clear communication without prejudicedagendas on either side may offer the best possiblesolution.References1. Monroe DP, Edeiken-Monroe BS, Perrier ND (2007) Light anddark: surgeons, radiologists, and why they need mutual under-standing to succeed. J Am Coll Surg 205:805–8062. Zafar AM, Nadeem N (2009) Communication & inter-personalskills? But I'm a radiologist…. J Pak Med Assoc 59:190–1913. Karamanoukian HL, Brodman RF, Aoukar PS (2003) Will thecardiovascular interventionist of the future be a cardiac surgeon,interventional cardiologist, or interventional radiologist? Angiology54:385–3894. Rostenberg B (2005) ‘Surgology’ is coming! Designing for theconvergence of surgery and interventional radiology. Health FacilManage 18:49–52T. Saleem (*)Medical College, Aga Khan University,Room 171, Male Hostel, Stadium Road,Karachi, Pakistane-mail: taimur@gmail.comLangenbecks Arch Surg (2009) 394:971DOI 10.1007/s00423-009-0531-7

Bridging the divide between the surgeon and the interventional radiologist: cooperation or/and competition?

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Bridging the divide between the surgeon and the interventional radiologist: cooperation or/and competition?

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