An overview of paediatric interventional radiology

As a sub-speciality, paediatric interventional radiology (PIR) is a growing field. The PIR team provides a service to almost all referrers in our busy children’s hospital. The procedures performed are basically the same as those in interventional radiology (IR) in adults, but the indications and disease processes are different. It is important to understand the differences between children and adults when identifying treatment aims. The case mix in PIR is different to adult practice with central venous access contributing to about 40% of the workload in our centre. Fewer arterial interventional procedures are performed in children than in adults. When a patient requires a complex intervention that is rarely performed in children, such as thoracic aortic stent grafting, support may be needed from adult IR colleagues who are more familiar with the procedures and equipment.

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