Establishing Interventional Radiology in a Low-Resource Setting: Lessons From Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose: The introduction of an interventional radiology (IR) unit at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) in 2017 marked a significant advancement in health care delivery in a low-resource setting in Nigeria. This study documents the processes, milestones, services, challenges, innovations, and collaborations that have supported the establishment of an IR unit.

Methods: We conducted an institutional review board-approved retrospective case study using archival data from the service records (2017-2024). To supplement our findings, we distributed a structured survey to 51 referring clinicians using Google Forms, with a 100% response rate. We analyzed the data descriptively using Microsoft Excel.

Results: The establishment of the IR unit in the OAUTHC was driven by structured training, international collaborations, and innovative solutions to overcome infrastructural limitations. The unit began with breast intervention services and was expanded to offer diverse ultrasound- and computed tomography-guided body intervention services. Breast biopsies (31.4%) and liver biopsies (23.5%) constituted the majority of IR referrals. Survey respondents (78.4%; 40 of 51) acknowledged the significant impact of IR services in reducing the need for invasive surgeries, with 84.3% (43 of 51) suggesting the need for increased procedure availability to address long waiting times. Despite challenges such as limited procedural options (56.9%) and long waiting times (41.2%), clinicians rated the IR unit's contributions to patient care as very important (41.2%) or moderately important (52.9%). Key lessons include the importance of structured training programs, leveraging international partnerships to overcome resource gaps, and implementing adaptive strategies to meet local needs.

Conclusion: The IR unit transformed patient care at the OAUTHC. This is a replicable model for building sustainable IR programs in other Nigerian hospitals and low-resource settings.