Earlier we spoke about the advantages of Interventional Radiology. Interventional radiology reduces cost, recovery time, pain, and risk to patients who would otherwise need traditional open surgery. This is the reason that Interventional Radiology is recommended to treat various conditions. Interventional Radiologists make small puncture/hole, usually in blood vessel of groin, and use needles and catheters to treat conditions inside your body. Below are the conditions treated via interventional radiology:
- Angioplasty & Stenting – unblocking or widening of blocked and narrowed blood vessels
Angioplasty uses a small, oval-shaped balloon to stretch open the artery which is narrowed or blocked. This improves the blood flow to the target tissue. It is carried out through a small hole in the skin, from which balloon is taken into the blood vessel that is narrowed or blocked. In stenting procedure, after angioplasty a stent (a wire mesh) is placed in narrowed or blocked blood vessel. Stent acts as a scaffold and helps to keep blood vessel open for longer duration.
- Thrombolysis – dissolving blood clots
Thrombolysis involves the injection of a medicine which dissolves clots through a long thin pipe that delivers the medicine directly to the site of the clots. This treatment is usually used in emergency situations to dissolve blood clots that form in arteries which transport blood to the brain, heart and other important organs.
- Embolization – block blood flow to the bleeding vessel or the target tissue like cancer.
Embolization is used to control or prevent excessive bleeding, block the arteries supplying blood to a tumor, block abnormal connections between arteries and veins, or to treat aneurysms. It places synthetic materials through a long thin pipe into the artery to block the blood flow to an area of the body. Embolization is a highly effective way to control bleeding without an open surgery.
- Radiofrequency Ablation – to burn the diseased tissue or a tumour
In Radiofrequency ablation a needle is placed within the tumor. Then using electric current tumor is heated and destroyed. Many tumours can be completely treated with radiofrequency ablation.
- Biopsies – study of tissues
Biopsies are performed by Interventional Radiologists to obtain samples for lab testing, to check whether the diseased tissue is infected or is cancerous. Samples are taken by placing small needles in the diseased tissue. This can be done without damaging important blood vessels and other organs. This procedure consumes much less time than an open surgery and the patient is free to go home the same day.
Interventional Radiology procedures reduce the need for traditional (open) or keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery as treatment can be given via a small plastic tube of about 2mm diameter. Due to continuing advances in technology, the range of conditions that can be treated by interventional radiology is continuing to expand. If you need any assistance in any of the above-mentioned procedures, you must contact DR. MILAN JOLAPARA, at Dev Interventional Clinic. Visit www.irgujarat.com for more details.