Vascular and Interventional Radiology is a medical specialty that utilizes state-of-the-art imaging modalities to diagnose and guide the minimally invasive treatment of various diseases.

Vascular and Interventional Radiologists are doctors who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted diagnosis and treatment procedures using state-of-the-art imaging modalities for guidance. They are experts in fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. These imaging modalities guided Vascular and Interventional Radiologists in diagnosis and/or treating diseases through tiny specialized instruments, such as needles and catheters, inserted through blood vessels and skin. Interventional Radiologists work closely with primary care physicians and other specialists to ensure patients receive the best possible care.

While no treatment is risk-free, the ones associated with vascular and interventional radiology procedures are very minimal. The cutting-edge procedures of vascular and interventional radiology are considered advanced practices in medicine. Most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis or require a short hospital stay. General anesthesia is usually not required. Risk, pain and recovery time are significantly reduced. Vascular and interventional radiology procedures can be less expensive than other alternatives.

Interventional radiologists use imaging modalities like fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI to see inside the patient’s body, enabling them to pinpoint the problem and map out the best and least invasive way to address it. Via a small nick in the skin, they guide needles and catheters through the vascular system or other pathways in the body to diagnose and/or treat diseases or tumors directly at the source.

Interventional procedures can be divided broadly into vascular and nonvascular. Vascular angiographic procedures predominantly involve the use of catheters and guidewire combinations within the vascular system. Percutaneous (performed through a small nick in the skin) vascular procedures include:

Infusion of drugs for liver cancer
Occlusion of vessels (embolization) in aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), bleeding and cancer
Recanalization of vessels (angioplasty)
Placement of transcatheter devices (stents and stent/grafts)
Foreign body retrieval


Nonvascular procedures or soft tissue procedures include the use of needles, trocars, drainage catheters and guidewires. These are performed within the hepatobiliary system, the urinary system in cases of obstructions, other organ systems and cavities with abscess or abnormal fluid collection, and percutaneous ablation of tumors (cancer). Capabilities of nonvascular procedures include:

Needle localization
Percutaneous needle biopsy
Percutaneous drainage
Percutaneous dilatation and stent placement

VASCULAR PROCEDURES

4-Vessel Cerebral and Carotid Angiogram/Embolization (Coil, Balloon, Particulate, Glue)
Thrombolysis
Hepatic Angiogram and Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) or Radioembolization using Yttrium – 90.
Aortogram/Endoluminal Repair
Renal Angiogram/Stenting/Embolization
Peripheral Angiogram/Stenting
Mesenteric Angiogram/Embolization
Pelvic Angiogram/Embolization
Bronchial Angiogram/Embolization
Spinal Angiogram/Embolization
Pulmonary Angiogram/Embolization
Venogram
Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Placement
Transjugular Intrahepatic Porto-systemic Shunt (TIPS)
Adrenal/Renal Venous Sampling
Central Venous Access Catheter Placement
Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheter (PICC) line
Port-a-Cath
Arm Port
Dialysis Access and Angioplasty of AV Fistula
Internal Jugular (IJ)
Perm Cath
Intravascular Foreign Body Retrieval
Sclerotherapy of Venous Malformation


NON – VASCULAR PROCEDURES

Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram (PTC)
Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD)
Biliary Stenting/Choledochoplasty
Biliary Stone Extraction
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) of various solid tumors (Liver, Lung, Bone and Soft Tissue, Renal, Adrenal)
Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Cementoplasty (Osteoporosis, Bone Metastasis, Hemangioma, Traumatic Fractures)
Percutaneous Spinal Intervention for back pain
Percutaneous Lumbar Interspinous Decompression
Nucleoplasty / Percutaneous Plasma Disc Decompression
Nerve root blocking
Facet joint infiltration
Discography
Epidural infiltration
Percutaneous Fine and Core Needle Biopsies of tumors or organs under image guidance (CT Scan, Ultrasound or Fluoroscopy)
Percutaneous Drainage of Fluid/Abscess (with or without Catheter Placement)
Thoracentesis/Pigtail Drainage Catheter Placement
Paracentesis/ Pigtail Drainage Catheter Placement
Percutaneous Cyst (Hepatic, Renal and Bone/ABC) Puncture with Sclerotherapy
Percutaneous Nephrostomy/Ureteral Stenting
Cholecystostomy
Pericardiocentesis
Myelogram
Sialogram
Sinugram