Akhil Hegde, MD

Growing up, I was fascinated by science and problem-solving. I interned at a local community hospital in San Francisco during high school and fell in love with clinical care and the magic behind medicine. I decided to pursue a career as a physician to help patients from various backgrounds and give back to my community. During medical school, I was drawn to procedural specialties. During surgery rotation, I observed a repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair performed through the endovascular approach— the most novel approach at that time. I was amazed by the elegance of the transarterial deployment of the AAA stent graft, the patient’s quick recovery, and speedy discharge from the hospital. This experience introduced me to the innovative field of interventional radiology. I then learned more about diagnostic radiology and was fascinated by the field’s central role in patient care and knew I wanted to be a radiologist. I embody a patient-centered care philosophy. While many interventions may work for a variety of patients, each patient is unique, and he/she ought to get the care that is ideal for him/her. I believe that clinical excellence can only be achieved if the patient is the sole focus of our actions.

Carolina Vascular Access is a specialized center in Chapel Hill, NC, dedicated to providing exceptional vascular access management and interventional procedures. With a focus on patient care, their team of experienced providers offers a range of services including declot thrombectomy, angiogram, fistulogram, angioplasty, stent placement, tunneled dialysis catheter insertion, and more. Committed to excellence, Carolina Vascular Access ensures productive and supportive interactions between patients, referring physicians, and their knowledgeable staff. With a dedication to patient well-being, they prioritize safety by requiring masks to be worn at all times during the COVID-19 pandemic, making them a trusted community resource for vascular access care.Generated from the website

I chose a career in medicine because it combined my interest in science and a way to positively impact people’s lives. Before entering medical school, I was fortunate to be able to work in an operating room. I became enamored with surgeons and the various things that could be accomplished in the operating room. Once in medical school, I was introduced to interventional radiology, which combined cutting-edge technology and procedural care. I believe that we as physicians owe it to our patients to provide the best treatment as possible based on the available research. We should involve our patients in their care and help them understand what we are doing and why.