We learned a lot from sponsoring last month’s Twin Cities Marathon in St. Paul. During the two-day event and expo, we spoke with many of the 42,000 people in attendance and had the opportunity to share information about our minimally invasive procedures and how they benefit people looking for alternatives to surgery. We also spoke with runners suffering from various vascular and musculoskeletal conditions that have impacted their performance, in particular plantar fasciitis, varicose veins and knee osteoarthritis.
One thing became very clear to us. As much time as we spend reaching out to the community and educating people about our services, we have a very long way to go. Some of these procedures have only been FDA-cleared for a few years, so awareness of them remains low. And while 92% of people would prefer a minimally invasive alternative to surgery, less than 40% are even aware that interventional radiologists are the doctors who offer them.
According to the National Institutes of Health, it historically takes an average of 17 years for a medical discovery to reach mainstream patient care. Fortunately, this length of time is shortening. We live in a time when information is revealed at a faster pace and advancements are adopted in a timelier fashion.
As an example, mammography was first proven to detect breast cancer in the mid-1960s. But it wouldn’t be until the year 2000—35 years later—when insurance began to universally cover annual mammograms. In contrast, the first genicular artery embolization (GAE) procedure was performed in 2018, a promising treatment for knee osteoarthritis and a potential alternative to knee replacement surgery. It’s only six years later, and the procedure is now clinically proven, FDA-approved and covered by insurance.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that it will take much longer before the general public catches on. Why? Because informing people about something new is incredibly expensive. Most of us doctors who perform these procedures are entrepreneurs and the centers we operate are start-up businesses. We simply don’t have the marketing budgets to reach all the relevant audiences with our messages.
But with your help, we can spread the word and positively impact the lives of our friends and loved ones. Just by reading this blog, you know more about vascular and interventional radiology than most people! So, the next time someone tells you they are thinking about surgery, ask them if they have looked into the minimally invasive alternative. Tell them it’s their right to get a second opinion, even if they already agreed to a course of treatment with their doctor.
Informing the public about what we do will take time. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint. But when the finish line represents superior outcomes with less risks and lower overall costs for patients, you can bet it’s a race we will never get tired of running.
