CIRSE Fellowship report: Dr. Muhammed Said Beşler

By Dr. Muhammed Said Beşler

I am Muhammed Said Beşler, and I am currently serving as an associate professor in the Interventional Radiology Unit of the Department of Radiology at Istanbul Medeniyet University. In our clinic, we actively perform nearly the entire spectrum of interventional radiology procedures. I also continue my activities outside the clinic as the national representative in the CIRSE European Trainee Forum.

I would like to sincerely thank the CIRSE Board and the relevant committees for offering the fellowship grant programme—an invaluable educational opportunity for interventional radiologists. This programme represents an important step toward strengthening the network within the interventional radiology community, disseminating diverse experiences more widely, and ultimately serving humanity. It particularly attracted my interest as a means to enhance my clinical experience, gain exposure to different clinical schools of thought, strengthen my professional network, and broaden my interventional radiology perspective.

I applied to the Interventional Radiology Department at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, one of the best IR clinics with its large and highly competent team of interventional radiologists, leading consultants in the field, and wide range of advanced procedures, and was accepted to the CIRSE Fellowship Programmme.

With the IR consultants and team

The Interventional Radiology Department at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stands out as an academic unit serving a large patient population in one of London’s most important hospitals, operating in a highly disciplined and organized manner. The department includes two angio suite rooms, as well as six patient rooms in the back corridor where non-vascular procedures, patient consultations, evaluations, and post-procedure follow-ups are carried out.

As a fellow, my daily routine started around 8:00–8:30 AM, preparing patient consent forms and getting ready for the morning ward round. At 8:30 AM, the entire department gathers for the ward round, during which other fellows and I individually presented patients and discussed with consultants. Procedure planning is then finalized, and work allocation is made if necessary. Cases may continue until 6:00–7:00 PM. Once a week, at 8:00 AM, a clinical IR meeting is held to review cases within the department. Consultants also actively contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings such as vascular MDT and urology MDT. Depending on the case, post-procedure ward visits are performed the same or following day to assess patient outcomes.

Before each procedure, patient history is reviewed in detail, and after completion, a quality-control style debrief is conducted where the performing operators answer questions. Some basic anesthesia and analgesia medications are managed directly by the IR doctors. Their working style clearly demonstrates that interventional radiologists are not only highly skilled technical operators but also competent clinicians.

I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Robert Morgan—former CIRSE President, current BSIR President, and IR Clinical Director—for his wonderful hospitality, warm conversations, and kind approach. It was a great honour and an unforgettable experience to perform a case alongside him.

My mentor and supervisor, Dr. Joo-Young Chun, ensured that the fellowship was both highly productive and perfectly organized, supporting me from the application process until the end of the program.

Working and engaging in in-depth case discussions with Dr. Lakshmi Ratnam, Dr. Raj Das, Dr. Ivan Walton, Dr. Michael Gonsalves, Dr. Seyed Mahdi Ameli-Renani, and Dr. John Adu was a truly enriching experience.

On my first day, international fellow Dr. Hin Boon Lew, who had started before me, kindly introduced me to the clinic and guided my initial orientation. Throughout the fellowship, I had enjoyable conversations with IR fellows Dr. Arjan, Dr. Adam, and Dr. Sam. Physician associates, nurses, and radiographers—especially Helen, Lottie, Omo, and Mario—formed the backbone of this excellent team.

Bleomycin electrosclerotherapy for a large venous malformation of the tongue and lower lip in a paediatric patient

This fellowship was an immensely valuable opportunity to deepen my clinical skills, broaden my procedural exposure, and build professional relationships within one of the leading interventional radiology centres in Europe. I am grateful to CIRSE for making such an impactful programme possible.