Leipzig -- Germany's healthcare reforms create pressure across the system, but according to Professor Frank K. Wacker, director of radiology at Hannover Medical School, DeGIR President, and DRG President-elect, they also create opportunities for interventional radiology.
Minimally invasive procedures could help reduce inpatient stays and offer alternatives to more resource-intensive interventions. "IR performs procedures every day that could technically be done on an outpatient basis or with just one overnight stay," Wacker said in a video interview at RöKo 2026 in Leipzig.
Professor Frank K. Wacker, Director of Radiology at Hannover Medical School, DeGIR President, and DRG President-elect, at the DeGIR Campus at the 107th German Radiology Congress in Leipzig.Claudia Tschabuschnig
Dedicated intake centers, physician assistants, follow-up infrastructure, and overnight holding areas are standard there. In Germany, IR remains tied to inpatient structures and is literally and metaphorically stuck in the hospital basement.
The interview took place at the newly launched DeGIR Campus, an interactive space designed to attract younger physicians and students into interventional radiology. More than 160 young members have already joined the "Young Interventional Radiology" initiative, which addresses topics ranging from work–life balance to pregnancy and radiation safety in IR.
Wacker, who is also part of the CAIMed collaborative AI research network, also spoke about where AI is making a real difference in IR today.
Our full coverage of RöKo 2026 can be found here.
