Born with a hereditary bleeding disorder called hemophilia, Dr. Greg Powell has always been interested in medicine, eventually leading him to become a physician.
Hemophilia is a rare inherited blood disorder, where blood doesn’t clot due to a lack of certain blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). Those that have hemophilia may bleed for a longer time after an injury than if the blood clotted properly.
Fortunately, Dr. Powell’s hemophilia was relatively mild, and he was able to live a very normal life through his childhood and into medical school. He did have some bleeds, which left him with arthritis, a common result of joint bleeds.
In the mid-80s, needing a blood product transfusion, he was given tainted blood, leading him to contract Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can be life-threatening. It can eventually destroy liver tissue, resulting in liver scarring and possibly liver failure and death.
“At the time, the only treatment for me was to receive the gift of a liver transplant,” explains Dr. Powell.
That possibility became his reality in 2012, when he went into liver failure and was awaiting a life-saving liver transplant. This was his first encounter with Interventional Radiology (IR).
In preparation for the transplant, he underwent a procedure for repairing a damaged artery in the liver. Dr. Jason Wong, an interventional radiologist at Foothills Medical Centre, and his team realized quickly that there was an issue and it would be unwise to stent the artery. Thanks to the IR team, it was discovered that the liver transplantation would involve a more complex surgery.
“Interventional radiology is an innovative and rapidly developing specialty. I say this not because they carried out procedures on me, but because they’ve taken what used to be much more invasive surgeries requiring a long healing period and provided less invasive procedures with incredibly advanced equipment and accuracy. The field of medicine has been drastically impacted and advanced because of it.”
As time went on, his liver continued to deteriorate because of Hepatitis C, and while waiting for a liver transplant, he was approached with an opportunity to join a clinical trial to treat the Hepatitis C with research trial medication. He signed up, knowing he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
About five weeks later, the hepatitis was gone. “I felt normal for the first time in a decade or more.”
Dr. Powell is grateful for this medication treatment, essentially saving his life and allowing him to not require a liver transplant.
“This was probably the greatest clinical advancement in medicine that I’m going to see in my lifetime. The discovery of a drug that eradicates the virus without significant side effects was a milestone we won’t see for a long time.”
While his encounter with IR was incredibly beneficial, this wasn’t the only time he required the team of interventional radiologists.
Dr. Powell also benefitted from the IR team when his lumbar facet joints became arthritic. He experienced considerable pain, especially at night.
“An interventional radiologist carefully guided a needle into the sensory nerves. Once they made sure they were well-positioned, they heated and ablated (burned) the sensory nerves.”
He was able to walk out of that procedure, realizing the pain was gone.
“I’ve been back two or three times over the last four years, with positive results each time.”
A number of years ago, Dr. Powell experienced another situation requiring interventional radiology – a small cancerous tumour was discovered in his liver. Again, the IR team, with their experience and expertise, was able to locate the tumour with an ultrasound-guided probe into his liver and obliterate the growth.
Dr. Powell had the impactful experience of going from physician to patient and is incredibly grateful for the excellent care he has received from the IR team. He hopes donors realize how important having an integrated hub space will be for many more patients who will require this specialized care in the future. The IR team is a key partner in the care of cancer patients, with innovative treatment options, sometimes as a first line of treatment for some types of cancer and Dr. Powell shares that he believes this field will only grow exponentially in the future.
IR uses medical imaging to perform minimally invasive procedures for diagnosis and treatment of diverse health issues. Patients undergoing IR procedures can often return to their lives quicker than with a surgical option, making the medical specialty critical to alleviating the burden of hospital admissions and enhancing patient care. The IR Hub will increase the capacity of minimally invasive procedures, allowing interventional radiologists to treat more outpatients.
In February 2024, Calgary Health Foundation approved funding for this two-year collaborative project with Alberta Health Services. To support this initiative, visit givehealth.ca.
Calgary Health Foundation is currently fundraising for an Interventional Radiology Hub – a new integrated space that helps Dr. Wong and his team offer better care for more patients.
