Interventional Radiology Website Launched
Interventional radiologist at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, Mathew Cherian, explains contents of his website on interventional radiology, in Coimbatore. Advances in the field of medicine now offer an option of treating a bulge in the blood vessel in the brain without the need for an open surgery. Interventional radiology applies the minimally invasive technique to access the brain from the thigh, to put a coil in the bulge and stop the blood vessel from bursting. But, how many people know of this option that can enable a patient return home in just 24 hours since the procedure? Not many. And, this is why Chief of Radiology Services at Kovai Medical Center and Hospital Mathew Cherian has launched a website on interventional radiology.
Teaming up with a web designer, V. Kavitha of Master Mind Solution in the city, Dr. Cherian now has an interactive website ( http://www.irtretment.org/) that tells people about the use of interventional radiology in diverse areas: putting a stent in the blood vessel in the brain, to treat vascular malformation in the eye and fibroid in the uterus and to stop life-threatening internal bleeding.
Dr. Cherian loves animation because it removes the morbidity that is normally found in the overdose of text. He has used animation liberally to attract the attention of the browsers and help them understand the procedure better. Ms. Kavitha, who says she designs websites for clients in the U.S., has gone a step further by having the doctor giving a voice-over to the animation. The audio part provides the extra impact that is needed, she says. As a coil snakes through the blood vessel towards the brain, Dr. Cherian explains how it prevents a rupture and saves a life.
Apart from being a reference portal, the website also offers an online appointment facility. Patients can access the appointment schedule of the doctor and find out when he is available. Being an interactive site, the doctor scrutinises the requests and grants appointment. “Ultimately, the patients land here with the knowledge of the procedure that is to be performed on them. In the process of fixing the appointment, they have already gone through the information provided on the procedures,” says Dr. Cherian.
“We designed this site in such a way that it caters to the needs of the both medical (doctors) and non-medical persons (patients/general public),” says Ms. Kavitha. “This is also a learning portal; a small postgraduate class room or clinic,” he points out. “Postgraduate doctors in our hospital or doctors in any other medical institution across the world can access this site and know of the procedures and the cases we have done,” he explains. “Though done in a private hospital, we have made this a learning portal for anyone across the world.”
The website has a list of all standard reference books and links to every site available on interventional radiology. A significant component is the uploading of a ‘Case of the Week’. The toughest and interesting case is chosen and uploaded for everyone to learn from. Young doctors who want to apply for “observership” (to learn the procedure at the hospital) can also apply online through this website. The probable dates are available on a calendar on the site. Dr. Cherian goes through the bio-data submitted online to choose the candidates.
