Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiology is an emerging subspecialty which provides minimal surgical procedures under imaging guidance (angiography, computerized tomography or ultrasonography) and without open surgery and operating room.
Some of the interventional radiology procedures carried out at interventional radiology departments are:
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Biopsy: Sampling of different organs safe and efficiently for diagnosis.
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Drainage: Removing of fluid collections like, ascites, bile, cysts, abscess in body parts.
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Vascular treatments: Arterial or venous stenosis/occlusions can be opened with stents and balloons in other organs similar to heart vessels. Sometimes interventional radiologists may aim to close the vessels which may cause hemorrhage in lungs, intestines etc. Vascular malformations and varices which may pose may cause serious health complications along cosmetic problems are also managed endovascularly.
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Oncologic treatments: Many tumors can be treated by heating, freezing or chemical ablative methods. Another standard therapy which is mostly used in primer and metastatic liver tumors is blocking of the tumor vessels using bland particles (embolization) or chemotherapic agents (chemoembolization) or radioactive isotopes (radioembolization).
Neurologic treatments: Acute stroke can be treated angiographically by removing the clot in brain vessels, if diagnosed within 6 hours. Besides one of the most life threatening and debilitating problem that caused by cerebral aneurysms - related brain hemorrhage managed with interventional neuroembolization therapy.
Mansoura Barkindo
