Interventional and Vascular Radiology is a subspecialty of Diagnostic Radiology that has evolved over the past 25 years to become an integral part of comprehensive patient care, providing alternatives to surgery for a broad range of health problems.

State-of-the-art imaging techniques including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT scans), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are utilized to guide the placement of needles, catheters, and devices directly to target sites deep within the body through a small skin incision. These procedures are often performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation and typically do not require general anesthesia.

Vascular

General Angiography
Angiography is a diagnostic test in which dye is injected into an artery and X-rays are taken to determine blood flow in a specific area of the body.

• In peripheral vascular disease, angiography outlines abnormalities of the arterial supply to the legs (such as in cramps)
• A cerebral angiogram outlines blood supply to the brain (such as in stroke and cerebrovascular accidents)
• Angiography outlines arteries of the kidneys to detect causes of hypertension

Vascular Intervention

• Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty for hypertension or claudication causing difficulty in walking. Angioplasty is a surgical procedure in which a balloon-tipped catheter (thin tube) is inserted into a diseased, narrowed blood vessel; inflation of the balloon stretches the vessel opening thereby improving blood flow.
• Arterial embolization involves the insertion of a substance through a catheter into a blood vessel to stop hemorrhaging, or excessive bleeding. It is used in the treatment of uncontrolled gastro-intestinal bleedings; fibroid uterus as a cause of painful heavy menstrual bleeding; and tumors of the liver (primary or colon metastasis)
• Transjugular Intrahepatic Portal Vein Shunt (TIPS) is a procedure for bleeding varices (dilated veins) and uncontrolled ascitis (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity) due to cirrhosis.