Paraguay's medical imaging: 40 years of ultrasonography's transformation

The Paraguayan Society of Ultrasonography (SPE) marks its 40th anniversary, celebrating a journey that began with technology inspired by submarine detection and evolved into an indispensable tool in medical consultations across Paraguay. Founded on May 20, 1986, the SPE has been dedicated to promoting the development, dissemination, teaching, and research of ultrasonography.

Dr. Akil Esgaib Ledesma, the SPE's first president, recalls the technology's origins in sonar, a system used to detect underwater vessels. He notes that its transition to medical sciences was met with initial resistance. "At the beginning, there was resistance," Dr. Esgaib remembered. The medical community at the time was accustomed to static X-rays, and ultrasonography, with its "living image," presented a new language that many active professors struggled to interpret.

The first ultrasound machine in Paraguay was housed at the IPS, with private institutes also making pioneering efforts. Due to a lack of local training, early specialists sought education in Argentina, Brazil, and Spain. By the mid-1970s, visionaries predicted that ultrasonography would become the most frequently requested method by the end of the century. Recognizing the need for a dedicated scientific space for this X-ray-free discipline focused on life, a group of doctors established the SPE.

Under Dr. Esgaib's leadership, a "grace period" commenced, uniting radiologists and clinicians to standardize the practice. Today, Dr. María Elena Ferreira leads the institution, continuing its commitment to academic excellence. Over the past four decades, 16 presidents, in addition to Esgaib and Ferreira, have contributed to strengthening and developing the SPE.

“

At the beginning, there was resistance.