Talking to Dr. Elio Quiros is talking to an ultrasound historian. The Peruvian has more than four decades working as a pioneer of the technique he brought to our country 41 years ago. He graduated from Universidad Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) in 1963, he got a major in clinical radiology from London, Westminster and Sheffield universities in 1970; and a major in diagnosis ultrasound from Bristol university, England, in 1976.

At first, how did you find out about the ultrasound?

I did a major in London in 1970 and there I found out about this new technique, which was very interesting for me. I thought it was pretty, new and harmless, and with so many diagnosis coverage, so when I had the opportunity to get a second scholarship in 1976, I decided to study just the ultrasound technique.

Was it difficult to bring this technique to Peru?

In November of 1977 he came back to Peru with the sonographer diploma from Bristol university, and also with the innovative technique that revolutionized Peru and Latin America. For two years, I had to go to every hospital given talks and teaching the value of the ultrasound, and the doctors learnt little by little to trust this useful technique.

What limitations do you think the ultrasound has nowadays?

The ultrasound has many applications and covers many areas. Not so to develop, but to apply and obtain the benefits in the different fields, because there is no part of the human body where we cannot use the ultrasound. It only has two limitations: It does not penetrate the bones (such as the brain), and also not easily the gasses (lung, stomach, colon or intestines). So except for this two limitations, there is no part of the body where the ultrasound cannot be applied.

What is your opinion that we can see places where ultrasounds are performed in every corner of Lima?

What is missing now are physicians that learn how to use it and apply it. Unfortunately, the ultrasound has been marketed and is everywhere, but the people and/or physicians that use the method have not been trained or study for it. This is the sad side of the ultrasound; it has been taken as a livelihood tool. They buy the machine to make money with it and that is not the way, first you need to train on it to then, use it properly.

Dr. Elio Quirós
Head of the diagnosis ultrasound service at Clínica Ricardo Palma