Center for Interventional Radiology

The Interventional Radiology unit specializes in the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions using a percutaneous approach targetting blood vessels and internal organs. This approach helps avoid the need for more complex surgery. 
 
The majority of our procedures are conducted using local anesthesia alone. However, in certain significant surgeries or operations involving children, general anesthesia is administered in sterile conditions.
 
Every interventional procedure requires:
 
●      A detailed order that includes: the required procedure, clinical summary, etc.
 
●      A conversation with the patient (or parents or family) to address questions regarding sensitivity to contrast material, coagulation functions, and kidney functions. A detailed explanation of the purpose, procedure, anticipated outcomes, and potential complications of the operation should be provided in detail.
 
●      A signed consent form.
 
 
Primary aspects of the procedure:
 
●      Insertion of a catheter into the blood vessels requiring treatment.
 
●      Access to the arteries: most of the time via incision in one of the groins. Entry via the brachial or axillary arteries is also possible.
 
●      Access to veins: mainly through incision in the groin, arms and neck.


●      Contrast material is injected via a catheter, while rapid imaging takes place.
 
 
Endovascular treatments:
 
●      Dilitation of strictures via balloon-expandable stent (PTA).
 
●      Stent insertion to open vessels when balloon proves insufficient.
 
●      Opening of a partially occluded vessels (Recanalization, PTR).
 
●      Infusing a substance that dissolves blood clots (urokinase) in the natural blood vessels or implants (bypasses, AV graft for dialysis).
 
●      Clot removal via special balloons.
 
●      Declotting dialysis graft.
 
●      Treatment of aneurysms via insertion of stent covered with graft material (stent-graft).


●      Blocking bleeding or pathological vessels (embolization): Trauma patients, bleeding in the digestive or respiratory tract, benign tumors such as renal angiomyolipoma or uterine myoma, vascular malformations (VM), arteriovenous malformations (AVM), arteriovenous fistulas (AVF), varicocele around the testicles or ovaries, embolization prior to cancer surgery.
 
●      Prevention of bleeding during C-section in cases of placenta accreta or placental abruption.
 
●      Chemoembolization of malignant liver tumors.
 
●      Insertion of vena cava filters to prevent pulmonary emboli. 
 
●      Removals of filters.
 
●      Retrieval of foreign bodies.
 
●      Insertion of central venous catheters for long-term treatments or feeding (PICC, Port, Hickman, Pharmaket).
 
 
Drainage
 
●      Kidney (nephrostomy): external, external-internal, or internal drainage (DJS) using fluoroscopy.
 
●      Bile ducts: external, external-internal or internal drainage using fluoroscopy.
 
●      Gallbladder: cholecystostomy using ultrasound or CT.
 
●      Abscesses, hematomas using ultrasound or CT.
 
 
Biopsies
 
●      Taking samples from pathological lesions of various organs for pathological examination using guided CT or ultrasound.
 
Other procedures
 
●      TIPSS -Transjugular Intrahepatic Porto-Systemic Shunt.
 
●      Treatment of tumors with radio-frequency (RF).
 
●      Widening strictures in the esophagus (Esophageal dilation).