SKIMS: From X-rays to interventional radiology—Institutional Excellence
Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, (SKIMS) Soura has been an apex Healthcare institute since its inception. SKIMS has kept pace with other apex institutes despite the turmoil in Valley. SKIMS provides the state of art Healthcare in diverse fields of medicine and surgery. The contribution in terms of ethical research and superspecialised academic activity is unique to this institution.
The pioneering work done in various specialities has attained international cognizance. The department of Radiodiagnosis and imaging has been pivotal in the development of institute off late. The days of conventional radiology like X-rays and barium studies, have been superseded by ultrasonography, CT scanning and MRI. Various advancements have been achieved in these domains in here.
SKIMS provides the services of musculoskeletal sonography, Cardiac Imaging, MR Hysterography and Defecography and Foetal MRI besides the routine diagnostic imaging. SKIMS radiology department pioneered the imaging of heart in the form of cardiac angiography on CT and cardiac MRI in state.
The SKIMS radiology department has been diversified in four domains of cardiac radiology, GI- radiology, Neuro-radiology and Onco-radiology. Much research has been done in these fields which has been published in leading international journals. Presently around 30 postgraduate students are undergoing training in radiology department and about 20 have completed their training in the prestigious department of radiology. The competent and dedicated faculty of radiology department along with senior residents and residents are working tirelessly to match the standards of AIIMS.
The SKIMS radiology department has revolutionized the Healthcare at SKIMS by kick starting the new realm of interventional radiology. To begin with nonvascular procedures like USG and CT guided FNAC and biopsies were done few years ago. Currently almost all nonvascular interventions are being done in SKIMS radiology department. The patient is discharged on the same day after the procedure. The procedure is done under local anaesthesia or sedation. The various nonvascular interventions done in SKIMS radiology for the information of general public are summarised below:
1. Image guided FNAC and biopsies.
2. Percutaneous drainage of liver abscesses and collections under image guidance.
3. Percutaneous nephrostomy and Ante grade Ureteral stenting for urinary obstructions.
4. Percutaneous biliary drainage and stenting for biliary obstructions.
5. TRUS guided prostatic biopsies.
6. Image guided neural blocks.
7. Vertebroplasty and bone biopsies.
8. Percutaneous sclerotherapy of renal cysts.
9. Percutaneous alcohol ablation of hepatic hydatid cysts using DPAI technique- a modification of PAIR.
Recently the radiology department at SKIMS started vascular interventions with installation of a state of art DSA lab few months ago which was e-inaugurated on 07-01-2018.
This ushered a new era of interventional vascular radiology in the state. The vascular interventions were started under the guidance of experts from AIIMS and abroad. With the collaboration of SKIMS Cardiology department, the radiology department of SKIMS performed the first case of Transarterial chemo embolisation (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma in late 2017.
Till now seven cases of TACE have been done successfully. Two cases of hepatic and renal arterial pseudoaneurysm coiling have also been done with complete cure. One case each of uterine AVM and bronchial artery embolisation has been successfully attempted.
The SKIMS radiology department is working day in and day out to improve the interventional radiology services without compromising the quality of diagnostic imaging. The public is hereby informed that travelling to outside state for interventional radiological services is not required. SKIMS is ready to serve in this domain as well.
(Dr Zubair Ahmad is a senior resident, department of Radiology /President RDA, SKIMS. He can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in the write-up are his own and ‘Kashmir Vision’ does not necessarily subscribe to them)
KV Correspondent
