Start from scratch Everything is boundless

PMH Neurointerventional Radiology Team (Neuro-IR)
Princess Margaret Hospital

Medical technology has made tremendous advances in recent years. Catheters used in interventional radiology used to be thick and hard to pass into blood vessels of brain, but today they can even be easily inserted into a blood vessel of two to three millimetres wide. However, it is the passion of healthcare workers for helping patients that drives rising standards above all, and members of the Neurointerventional Radiology Team of Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) say it is their determination to make a difference that motivates them most.

Before 2010, the hospital did not provide Neurointerventional Radiology service, and patients with neurovascular diseases had to be transferred to Kwong Wah Hospital for treatment. As demand rose and patients in more serious conditions were found to be unsuitable for transfer, a new team was set up from scratch at PMH. “We started by equipping ourselves,” the Team says. “We followed up the cases. Doctors providing similar services were invited to give us advice on planning. We also attended overseas seminars. Although it was hard in the beginning, we encouraged one another and believed that we could finally do it.”

At first, the Team handled only relatively straightforward cases, such as the insertion of stents for patients with carotid artery stenosis to reduce the risk of stroke. The variety and complexity of cases gradually increased as team members gained more experience. They now use the advanced digital subtraction angiographic system to perform various minimally invasive procedures such as embolisation for head and neck aneurysms or arteriovenous malformation to reduce their rupture risks or blood loss during associated removal surgeries. The Team also uses endovascular technique to remove clots in ischemic stroke patients to reduce the risk of disabilities.

Every case is unique, and medical staff from different specialties have joined the Team to increase its capacity to the maximum. The addition of young team members creates limitless possibilities and sparks greater creativity with the help of advanced technology.

Team members believe everything is boundless and treatments that seemed impossible in the past will become routine in one day. Above all, they share the bond of comradeship and a common desire to help each patient get the best possible outcome.

Team List