Interventional radiologists can treat many conditions without surgery:
Aneurysms Sections of blood vessels that bulge or balloon out abnormally (aneurysms), often may be treated without surgery by interventional radiologists. The doctor threads a thin tube (catheter) into the blood vessel and inserts a device that blocks off the supply of blood to the aneurysm.
Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM) are blood vessel abnormalities in the brain or elsewhere. If untreated, AVMs can rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding. Interventional radiologists can often treat these abnormalities without surgery by guiding thin tubes (catheters) to the site and injecting a substance that blocks the supply of blood to the affected blood vessels.
Bleeding Internally When a patient is bleeding inside the body due to injured blood vessels after an accident or other trauma, the interventional radiologist pinpoints the area of injury with angiography. The doctor injects a clotting substance, such as a gel, foam, or tiny coils, through a thin tube (catheter) to stop the bleeding.
Blood Clots that form in the deep veins of the lower legs (known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT) can cause chronic swelling and leg pain when walking. There is a risk that the clots will move to the lung (pulmonary embolism) or heart -- a potentially life-threatening complication. Interventional radiologists treat DVT by dissolving the clot with thrombolytic therapy. This treatment opens up blood flow and may prevent permanent damage to the blood vessels, a common side effect of DVT.
Blood Clot Filters Patients with certain chronic illnesses or other conditions that require prolonged periods of inactivity, are at risk of forming blood clots that can travel to the heart or lungs. The interventional radiologist can insert a small filter (called a vena cava filter) into a blood vessel to catch and break up blood clots.
Cancer Treatments Some types of cancers, such as those of the endocrine system that have spread to the liver, can be treated by delivering cancer-fighting agents directly to the site of a tumor in a procedure known as chemoembolization.
High Blood Pressure In some patients with high blood pressure, the condition is caused by a narrowing of the arteries in the kidneys. The problem, called renal hypertension, often can be treated with angioplasty.
Infection and Abscess Drainage Patients with a variety of illnesses may develop an area of persistent infection (abscess) in the body. The infection can be drained by inserting a thin tube (catheter) through a small nick in the skin< and to the site of the infection.
Urinary Tract Obstruction The ureter -- the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder -- sometimes becomes blocked by kidney stones or other obstructions. The interventional radiologist inserts a thin tube (catheter) through a small nick in the skin and into the blocked kidney to drain the urine.
The medical specialty of Vascular/Interventional Radiology (VIR) emphasizes the use of minimally invasive practices in as effective, safe, and less costly treatment options, which are also more convenient to patients. Interventional radiology is a 21st century medicine.
This article was reprinted from The Society of Interventional Radiology www.sirweb.org
