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Interventional Radiology is defined by interventional diagnostic or therapeutic procedures performed by means of devices such as US, CT, MR or fluoroscopy. By means of these devices, the organs and tissues are observed and processed so that the risks associated with the processes are minimized.
Procedures performed in Interventional Radiology
The procedures performed in the interventional unit are divided into vascular and non-vascular procedures. While the vascular operations are related to arteries and veins, the nonvascular operations are directed to the organs.
Vascular Interventional Radiological Procedures
Vascular procedures are operations related to arteries and veins. In the diagnostic operations, special needles and catheters are inserted into the vein to be displayed and the images are obtained after the injection of contrast agent. In the therapeutic operations, the procedures are directed to the elimination of problems.
Vascular Diagnostic Radiological Procedures
Vascular Interventional Radiological Procedures
Non-vascular procedures are performed to structures other than the veins. Before the development of imaging methods, the procedures performed for the organs in our body would be administrated depending on the anatomical positions. For example, if a biopsy was to be performed on organs such as liver or kidney, the sample would be extracted from an area which is anatomically appropriate. In such cases, the physician would not be able to see what the structures were in front of the organ from which the sample was extracted. In the biopsies to be performed without seeing the organ, the bleedings and the extractions from an improper area can be seen. Nowadays, the interventional radiologists do this by using the appropriate devices and seeing the biopsy organs and their surrounding structures, so that they do not damage the structures such as veins or nerves in or around the organ. For example, in the biopsies to be performed from the thyroid gland, the thyroid gland is seen by means of the ultrasound, the nodule in the gland is reached from the shortest path and aspirated properly.
Non-Vascular Interventional Radiological Procedures
For the patients with a disorder caused by renal vessels, it is aimed to detect and treat the disease before it progresses and causes the renal failure. For example, if there is a stenosis in the kidney vessels, the progression of the disease can be prevented by placing a stent in the early stage. For the dialysis patients, the protection of the veins in hands and arms is of importance in terms of the fistula. The fistulas enable the patients to undergo dialysis. In the patients with vascular problems regarding the fistula, the dialysis procedure is performed with the catheters inserted into the veins. These are divided as permanent and temporary catheters. The advantage of interventional radiology is to see the artery and insert the catheter by means of ultrasound. In addition, the fistula is amplified after the clot-busting drug is injected into the fistula for the patients with the fistula occlusion.
