HealthManagement, IQ_2012_06_venus
Dr. Maccon Keane is a Medical Oncologist at University Hospital, Galway. He is a keen supporter of IR, and works closely with Gerard O’Sullivan and his colleagues.
“Our Oncology Department has been working closely with the IR Department since 2003. Oncology patients, due to a variety of factors, such as altered blood chemistry and increased bed rest, are quite prone to developing blood clots. They’re probably the single biggest risk group, actually; there’s a very high frequency of both of DVT and pulmonary embolism.
“Among oncology in-patients, there is a 5-10% incidence of DVT. Not all of these will require IR intervention, but all will require some form of treatment, and the IR therapies are a great option to have available. Their thrombectomy and local thrombolysis skills have proved invaluable in the more severe cases.
“Our oncology department (and indeed, every oncology department I’ve ever worked in) would be one of the top users of IR services within the hospital. We require their assistance with thrombotic events, biopsies, stent place ment, and a variety of other issues that arise routinely in medical oncology.”
C.M.
