Vascular Surgery vs Interventional radiology

[henslice]

Has anyone considered both specialties? What were the factors that you weighed before you made a decision? Any insight into the fight for endovascular procedures? Thanks in advance.

[NLengr]

39 minutes ago, henslice said:

Has anyone considered both specialties? What were the factors that you weighed before you made a decision? Any insight into the fight for endovascular procedures? Thanks in advance.

Vascular surgery seems to have kept endovascular grafts inside its own specialty. Most surgical apecialties have learned their lesson from Cardiac surgery and won't ignore new technologies. 

Most IR vascular procedures seem to be smaller stuff (ballooning, stenting etc). 

Vascular is also honest to goodness surgery. You still do a ton of open surgery. 

[Lactic Folly]

Yes, make sure you'd enjoy the remainder of each field outside of endovascular procedures - not an insignificant part of training and practice, and quite different from each other.

[MDLaval]

8 hours ago, NLengr said:

Vascular surgery seems to have kept endovascular grafts inside its own specialty. Most surgical apecialties have learned their lesson from Cardiac surgery and won't ignore new technologies. 

Most IR vascular procedures seem to be smaller stuff (ballooning, stenting etc). 

Vascular is also honest to goodness surgery. You still do a ton of open surgery. 

At Laval U. it's at least 50-50 regarding grafts and most cases done by Vascular do have an IR in the room as 1st assistant.

[NLengr]

On 1/6/2018 at 7:35 AM, MDLaval said:

At Laval U. it's at least 50-50 regarding grafts and most cases done by Vascular do have an IR in the room as 1st assistant.

The split is probably different at each center. Where I trained, there was never any IR doctors in the OR. If help was needed, it was second vascular surgeon who had more endovascular experience.

I imagine a large part of it is how comfortable vascular surgeons are at endovascular techniques. The older ones wouldn't have had any training in it as a resident or fellow, so they probably are more likely to want to have someone with experience around (another surgeon or someone from IR). Younger vascular surgeons are probably much less likely to have another surgeon or IR in the room.