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CHARLES THEODORE DOTTER By: Mariam Al-Masri
Imagine how they used to practice medicine, perform surgeries, treat, and diagnose only based on the physical examination and the Doctor’s assumptions. Yes, this was the case until Charles dotter (1920 – 1985) pioneered the use of interventional radiology in the 20th century, which was a revolutionary development in invasive procedures and surgical techniques. In his early years, Dotter was highly interested in mechanical tools, and in finding other uses for them. This interest didn’t diminish after he went to Cornell medical college in New York City, he then developed his interest in Angiocardiography while he was a resident at New York Hospital. He developed an automatic X-Ray Roll-Film magazine which gives images at 2 per second rate, this fact reveals his exceptional way of thinking. His most important contribution was on January 16th 1964, the day in which interventional radiology gave real tangible results. It was a case of Laura Shaw; an 82 year old woman who came with a femoral arterial stenosis, gangrenous ulcers in the toes, and with risk of amputation. Dotter then suggested that instead of just imaging the blockages and performing an open surgery to remove them, why won’t they just reopen these blockages during the imaging procedure with the catheter? And this idea led to what’s called percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). After this minimally invasive procedure, the patient’s symptoms improved and the ulcers were healed completely.
