Interventional Radiology—REVIEW ARTICLE
A Greener Path for Interventional Radiology
Sara Lojo-Lendoiro,
Jose María Abadal Villayandre,
Elena Lonjedo Vincent,
Ángel Morales Santos,
Àlex Rovira,
Corresponding Author
Sara Lojo-Lendoiro
Interventional Radiology Department, Hospital Arquitecto Marcide, Complexo Hospitalario de Ferrol, A Coruña, Spain
Correspondence:
Sara Lojo-Lendoiro ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorJose María Abadal Villayandre
Interventional Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorElena Lonjedo Vincent
Head of Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Dr Peset, Valencia, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorÁngel Morales Santos
Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorÀlex Rovira
Head of Neuroradiology Department, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall D'hebron, Barcelona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorSara Lojo-Lendoiro,
Jose María Abadal Villayandre,
Elena Lonjedo Vincent,
Ángel Morales Santos,
Àlex Rovira,
Corresponding Author
Sara Lojo-Lendoiro
Interventional Radiology Department, Hospital Arquitecto Marcide, Complexo Hospitalario de Ferrol, A Coruña, Spain
Correspondence:
Sara Lojo-Lendoiro ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorJose María Abadal Villayandre
Interventional Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorElena Lonjedo Vincent
Head of Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Dr Peset, Valencia, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorÁngel Morales Santos
Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorÀlex Rovira
Head of Neuroradiology Department, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall D'hebron, Barcelona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 19 May 2025
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
ABSTRACT
The healthcare sector contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with hospital services being a major source. Interventional radiology (IR), as a resource-intensive subspecialty, has a disproportionately high environmental impact due to its reliance on advanced imaging equipment, sterile disposable materials and climate-controlled facilities. This narrative review aims to raise awareness of the environmental responsibilities of interventional radiologists and propose practical strategies to reduce the carbon, water and ecological footprints associated with IR procedures and operations. The manuscript describes best practices in energy and waste management, the use of environmentally friendly equipment and sustainable facility design, while addressing current barriers to their implementation. Through evidence-based recommendations and practical examples, this position paper advocates for a greener and more sustainable future in interventional radiology.
Conflicts of Interest
Dr. Àlex Rovira served on scientific advisory boards for Novartis, Sanofi, Roche and Biogen and has received speaker honoraria from Bayer, Sanofi, Merck, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis, Roche, Bristol-Myers and Biogen, is CMO and co-founder of TensorMedical and receives research support from Fondo de Investigación en Salud (PI19/00950 and PI22/01589) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain. Dr. Ángel Morales, Dr. Elena Lonjedo, Dr. Abadal Villayandre and Dr. Lojo have no disclosures.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data on which the conclusions of this study are based are available on request from the corresponding author and has been obtained from the existing literature.
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