Angioplasty is a procedure that uses a catheter and a balloon to open up blocked arteries.
Interventional Radiology is a specialized field within Radiology. In Interventional Radiology (IR) doctor not only interpret your medical images, but they also perform minimally invasive surgical procedures through small incisions in the body, using needles and catheters.
The IR doctor uses medical imaging, such as Ultra Sound, X-ray, CT and MRI, to guide minimally invasive surgical procedures that diagnose, treat and cure many kinds of conditions and diseases.
Most of the IR treatments are alternative to procedures that once required open surgery.
The IR doctor performs the procedure and follow the patient before and after the operation and during the follow up, if necessary.
Advantages of Interventional Radiology vs Open Surgery:
- Increased Effectiveness: Medical imaging technology gives radiologist high visibility throughout the procedure which increases the accuracy of the diagnosis and improves patient outcomes through targeted treatment.
- Reduced Risks: Compared to conventional surgery IR offers less blood loss and lower risk for infection and other common complications that come with open surgery.
Also, those who are at higher risk from anesthesia benefit as only local anesthesia and/or moderate sedation is used. - Lastly, since the guidance is so precise, the likelihood of damage to surrounding healthy body part is reduced.
- Less pain: IR procedures are performed through small incisions, so no stiches, staples or large bandages are required. A local anesthesia is used so pain experienced during or after the procedure is moderate.
- Outpatient stay: Most of the IR procedures can be done on an outpatient basis, that means the patient is able to return home the same day treatment is performed.
- Quicker Recovery Time: Due to their minimally invasive nature, IR procedures require little recovery time. Generally, patients are able to return to daily life quicker than they otherwise would following traditional surgery.
Interventional Radiology includes Vascular and Extra-Vascular Mini-Invasive procedures.
Examples of Vascular Procedures that I perform
- Endovascular treatment of iliac and peripheral (lower legs) arteriopathy with angioplasty and/or stenting (link) for narrowed or blocked arteries
- Carotid Artery Stenting, endovascular treatment for patients with carotid narrowing
- Renal Artery Angioplasty and/or stenting
- Endovascular treatment of aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm
- Endovascular treatment of acute and chronic Mesenteric Ischaemia (narrowed or blocked arteries restricting blood flow to your bowel)
- Endovascular treatment of acute and chronic Deep Vein Thrombosis (blocked veins in your legs)
- Uterine Fibroid Embolisation
- Prostate Embolisation for the treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)
- Bladder Embolisation for intractable bladder haemmorrhage
- “Emborrhoid”, endovascular treatment of bleeding haemorrhoid
- Embolisation of Arterio-Venous and Lymphatic Malformations
- Arterial bleeding embolisation
- Endovascular treatment of Varicocele (antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy) and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
Examples of Extra-Vascular Procedures that I perform:
- Sclerotherapy of renal and mammary cysts
- Pleural and abdominal drains for free fluid or collections
- Biliary drain and stenting
- Insertion/Removal of Port-a-cath and PICC line
- Nephrostomy and Ureteric Stent Insertion
- Biopsies (liver, lungs, lymphnodes, soft tissue…) for histological characterization
- Liver and thyroid Radiofrequency ablation
- Renal Crioablation
- Vertebroplasty
- Pain Relief: Intra-articular Infiltrations
