Interventional clinic: a common turf for endoscopic surgery and interventional radiology.

Imaging techniques like improved X-ray equipment, digital subtraction angiography, computed tomography, ultrasonography and MRI, have made remote control of percutaneously introduced therapeutic instruments mainly operated by radiologists possible. The development of quartz fiberoptic has promoted better endoscopes, adequate work channels, and has revolutionized endoscopic techniques both with respect to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The direct vision through endoscopes via quartz fibers has in recent years met a competitor in miniaturized video technique [ 11. Endoscopic images are now produced on a television screen similar to other imaging techniques. In this way the surgeon has become a consumer of imaging techniques (Fig. 1) [2], and vice versa, the radiologist has through the possibilities of interventional radiology become an operator on the surgeon’s previous domain. The radiologist and the surgeon/endoscopist are now working with rather similar techniques [ 31. They can apply these techniques in turn or in combination, and often they can be applied on the same patients, diagnostically and therapeutically in one single 0peration.A grey zone has appeared between the different professions’ areas of responsibility. Hospital departments and working teams may therefore split and experience difficult conflicts between the professional disciplines. We must define frameworks for cooperation and define common problem tasks for the different professions. This can be done by arranging a new department con