Interventional Radiologists are specially trained doctors who use X-rays and other imaging techniques such as angiography to "see" inside the body while they guide narrow tubes (catheters) and other very small instruments through blood vessels and other pathways in the body to the site of the problem, treating a variety of medical conditions without surgery.
As the first-of-its-kind lab in the country, the sophisticated digital and computer-enhanced imaging equipment in our Interventional Radiology Suite boasts the ability to convert to a fully-functioning operating room in less than five minutes, allowing physicians to perform high-tech procedures with unprecedented imaging on an emergency basis, if needed.
The use of the Multistar system which rotates around the patient, allows for enhanced 3-D imaging, leading to a more accurate diagnosis, reduced radiation for patients (needing only 4-6 films per case), and the use of carbon dioxide studies which have less side effects than the older iodine based injections. Of vital importance is that the patient experiences less pain and a shorter recovery time with procedures often being performed on an outpatient basis.
The types of procedures performed using angiography are:
- Angioplasty - allows the use of a guided catheter to open blood flow to a clogged artery
- Stent - following angioplasty, a small mesh straw that holds arteries open to create a tunnel, is inserted in a vessel that has a potential to narrow again
- Venogram/Arteriogram - allows visualization and intervention of smaller veins or arteries such as that of the arms and legs to detect aneurysms as well as blood vessel blockage or malformations.
The availability of such sophisticated equipment has made a significant contribution in enabling Catholic Medical Center to excel in the treatment of our patients and has placed us at the forefront in the treatment of vascular disease.
Other services and procedures our Interventional Radiology Department performs are:
- Pain Management
- Vertebroplasty
- Kyphoplasty - new treatments for the debilitating pain of spinal fractures or curvature of the spine (kyphosis) caused by osteoporosis and long-term use of steroids.
These procedures stabilize the spinal vertebrae with special orthopedic cement, reducing or eliminating pain without the risks and discomfort of major surgery.