Episode # 658 • 26 Jun 2026
Expeditionary Interventional Radiology: Innovations in Military Medicine
How will expeditionary IR adapt and advance to meet the challenges of the next generation of combat operations? In this episode of the Backtable Podcast, host Dr. Ally Baheti speaks with Air Force IR physicians Dr. John Pavlus and Dr. Jonathon Schutt about the realities of expeditionary interventional radiology (EIR) in military and disaster settings. They discuss how EIR brings damage-control and emergency IR principles to deployments, humanitarian missions, and extreme environments, where resources are limited and teamwork is essential.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
03:53 - Origins and Early Pushback
06:31 - Roles of Care
09:04 - Trauma vs Elective
12:09 - Staffing and Training Barriers
22:17 - Future Tech: AI and Robotics
29:24 - Why It Matters in War
35:00 - Teamwork Trust and 60 Minutes
39:20 - Military Culture
41:18 - Wrap Up and Thanks
Resources
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More about this episode
The conversation explores the military’s “roles of care,” from stateside hospitals to front-line deployments, and examines how limited IR staffing and siloed services present barriers to readiness. Drs. Pavlus and Schutt emphasize the importance of close integration with trauma surgery, anesthesia, and other team members, and highlight trauma-focused endovascular care and ultrasound-guided procedures that work with minimal equipment. The episode also looks at future directions for expeditionary IR, including new training models, data systems, and advances in AI and robotics that may one day enable remote intervention in combat and disaster zones.
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