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A cardiovascular-interventional technologist (also known as a CV Technologist)
specializes in the sophisticated imaging techniques used for looking at the heart
(cardiac care) and the blood vessels (vascular care). The sophisticated imaging
techniques that a CV technologist uses allows him/her to map out a patient?s blood
vessel pathways to and from the heart and other areas of the body without having to
perform open surgery. A physician or radiologist is then able to use this information to
do such things as insert and guide medical instruments and tools, such as catheters
(narrow tubes) and wires, through tiny incisions made in the patient?s skin to the
sight of medical problems. While inside the patient?s body, the medical
instruments and tools are used to do things such as biopsies, draining fluids,
opening blocked vessels, etc. CV technologists may directly assist physicians
and/or radiologists with such procedures. The advantages of using this process
to detect and/or correct a medical problem as opposed to using open surgery are
numerous and include shorter hospital stays, little or no scarring, and less pain.
Thus, the images generated by a CV technologist play a major role in diagnosing and
correcting medical problems.
The majority of CV technologists work in hospital settings. However, they also
work in surgery centers, imaging centers, physician?s offices and clinics.
In terms of education, this position requires an individual to be a graduate of an
accredited radiologic health science program as well as a registered radiologic
technologist (see Radiologic Technologist (Radiographer)
for educational requirements, registration requirements,
and a listing of educational programs in the state of Ohio). An individual must
then complete a minimum number of clinical training hours in areas pertaining to
cardiovascular-interventional technology. After completion of clinical
requirements, an individual must then pass a cardiovascular-interventional
technology examination given by a nationally recognized organization such as
The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
For additional information on cardiovascular-interventional technology as a career,
please visit the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.
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