Ep. 658 Expeditionary Interventional Radiology: Innovations in Military Medicine with Dr. Jonathon Schutt and Dr. John Pavlus

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. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction03:53 - Origins and Early Pushback 06:31 - Roles of Care 09:04 - Trauma vs Elective12:09 - Staffing and Training Barriers 22:17 - Future Tech: AI and Robotics 29:24 - Why It Matters in War35:00 - Teamwork Trust and 60 Minutes39:20 - Military Culture41:18 - Wrap Up and Thanks --- 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. --- Resources Expeditionary Endovascular Trauma Care as a Core Capability for Future Large-Scale Conflictshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41894613/ --- BackTable Vascular & Interventional (VI) is the go-to podcast for interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and interventional cardiologists. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app