He is one of approximately 180 interventional neuroradiologists in the country. That group can be further broken down to about 100, who are credited with doing the majority of these cases. Bell is one of the latter, highly experienced doctors. It s a relatively close-knit group, says Bell. Competition is a friendly one.
People are very helpful to one another.
Using long catheters which are slid through complicated passageways, most often inserted from the groin to the head area, Dr. Bell views what he s doing on a screen. With this minimally invasive procedure, an actual incision into the body, opening a large section to be seen and worked within, isn t needed. As technology improves and ways of thinking about problems evolve, we re able to push the frontier, says Bell. I serve Charlotte and many people from the western part of the state, SC, and as far as Chattanooga and Florida, he notes. A radiologist has more contact with people than is generally known, says Bell.