Program of Study

Geisinger's Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology (IR/DR) – Independent Radiology Residency provides the completion of training for the IR/DR certificate. Training may be one year with the Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) certificate supplied by a previous program. Apr 02, 2020 Radiology Technologists Education: Interventional Radiology Charles J. Tegtmeyer School of Interventional Radiology and Special Procedures. Established in 1973 by Dr. Tegtmeyer, the postgraduate Interventional Radiology and Special Procedures Program offered at the University of Virginia Medical Center provides a challenging and rewarding opportunity for dedicated Radiology.

This program involves students in a variety of educational experiences including classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. Didactic courses provide an advanced level of understanding of human
vascular systems, while clinical courses provide the experience needed to become skilled specialists in the areas of invasive diagnostic and interventional procedures including, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, interventional radiology, and vascular interventional surgery. Students will be expected to take call every fourth week-end beginning the fall semester of their senior year until graduation.

Additional Information

- Step 1: DownloadAdmissions Requirements (MAR) Packet

More Information:Program Detail

Careers Available

Major employers are hospitals with a small percentage of employment in mobile units and outpatient facilities. Employers will require staff to take call on a rotational basis after an initial orientation to the facility. Call hours vary from facility to facility.

Recommended Courses and Skills

Strong science background, high school biology, chemistry and algebra.

Helpful Personal Attributes

Team player, ability to take responsibility and meet the demands of a stressful environment and emergency medical situations, ability to communicate on a professional level with physicians and other ancillary staff when discussing patient care, procedures, or problems, motivated to meet challenges and hand-eye coordination.

Program Offerings

Program	Credential Level	Offered	Code
Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology	Associate in Applied Science	Day	A45410
Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology - Vascular	Certificate	Online	C45410V

Program Contact

If you would like additional information about the Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology Program, contact Marti K. Feathers-Magee, Program Coordinator, at 336.734.7189 or mmagee@forsythtech.edu.

How to Get Certified in Cardiac Interventional Radiography

What does it take to get your Post Primary Certification inCardiac Interventional Radiography? This guide breaks down all the essentialsyou will learn.

In 1953, interventionalradiography began to make its way into medical practice. A Swedish doctor bythe name of Sven-Ivar Seldinger pioneered the Seldinger technique, which allows for safe access to organs like the heart and itsblood vessels. This technique marked the beginning of a new era in medicine.

Cardiac interventional radiography requires extensive training. That’s because these radiographers are trained in both interventional and radiology techniques. Training enables these medical professionals to look inside the body and treat conditions using the most minimally invasive procedures possible.

It’s both a noble andrewarding job. But what does it take to get your Post Primary Certification inCardiac Interventional Radiography?

Keep reading to find outabout all the essentials!

What Is Cardiac Interventional Radiography?

Interventionalradiography uses medical imaging techniques to both diagnose and treat problemswith both lymph and blood vessels, whereas cardiac interventionalradiography focuses specifically on the heart.

Cardiac interventional technologistsuse sophisticated fluoroscopic equipment. They use this equipment to captureimages of the heart and the blood vessels that surround it. They may, at times,assist with procedures such as stenting, thrombolysis, embolization, biopsies,and angioplasty.

The procedures areimage-guided and can play a huge role in saving someone’s life.

A cardiovascularinterventional technologist might help to treat children with lymphatic systemdisorders and vascular system disorders. These issues can be either present atbirth or acquired.

They use small tools andextremely precise imaging to both help with diagnosis leading to treatment ofthese disorders.

How Can You Get Certified in Cardiovascular InterventionalRadiography?

ARRT stands for American Registry of RadiologicTechnologists. It’s the leading credentialing organization that recognizesqualified individuals in interventional procedures, radiation therapy, andmedical imaging.

There are multipleaccredited education institutions where you may acquire the education that youneed to become certified. Either way, you want to make sure that you getaccredited from a school that all the states recognize so that you don’t runthe risk of losing your certification, should you move.

If you are aradiologic technologist, you must take a set amount of hours in specificcategories within your continuing education to qualify you for testing andearning the credentials.

What Procedures Are Required for Certification?

Candidates forregistration and certification must have documented performances for AT LEAST150 repetitions of cardiac interventional radiography procedures.

These procedures must bedocumented, verified, and submitted.

For some of thosemandatory procedures, candidates have to complete at least 10 right heartcatheterizations. Each heart catheterization has to include at least 2 studiesfrom the following list:

Hemoximetry
Shunt detection
Valve measurement
Right ventriculography
Pulmonary angiography
Hemodynamics
Cardiac output calculations

In addition to 10 RIGHTheart catheterizations, candidates have to complete a total of 60 LEFT heartcatheterizations. Each one must also include at least 2 studies from thefollowing list:

Cardiac Interventional Radiography Programs

Aortography
Hemodynamics
Coronary angiography
Coronary artery bypass graft angiography
Left ventriculography
Ventricular volume measurement/ejection fraction

For both right and leftheart catheterizations, candidates must complete up to 80 additionalcatheterizations. They will be counted towards your elective procedures.

At least 80 of thoseelective procedures have to be documented. But there must be variety in boththe procedures and the patients. Each documented procedure can only bedocumented one time for each patient.

In order to beconsidered as a candidate, you must already be certified and registered in asupporting category. Be sure to visit ARRT for more specific informationon the clinical experience requirements.

What Are the Benefits of Cardiac Interventional Technology?

The whole purpose of thefield of interventional radiology is for procedures to be as minimally invasiveas possible. They use small incisions, and because of that, procedures areusually less painful than regular surgery.

When it comes tochildren, they get the smallest amount of sedation or anesthesia necessary inorder to be safe and comfortable during an IR procedure. Many procedures don’teven warrant a hospital stay.

Typically, patients haveshorter recovery times and no scars or minimal scarring. Because thesetreatments are image-guided, they are extremely precise.

How Much Does Certification Cost?

Costs for continuingeducation to become a cardiac interventional technologist vary.

Depending on whom youtake your courses through, you can save a lot of money. Many services offercombo courses so that you can focus on two areas at once.

Check out some of the combo courses that we offer. The courses are valid in every state, so you don’thave to worry about issues should you mov