Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Vascular and Interventional Radiology are the overall names for a series of minimally invasive procedures that use radiological image guidance.
Vascular radiology specifically refers to procedures that affect your blood vessels. That usually means angioplasty, a procedure in which a balloon is used to expand a blood vessel clogged with plaque, or vascular stenting, a procedure in which a wire tube is used to support a weak spot within a blood vessel (often used after a balloon angioplasty).
During a vascular procedure, your doctor will use special x-ray equipment to direct treatment. The x-ray equipment, and sometimes a very small camera inserted inside your blood vessels, will allow your doctor to watch the procedure in real time from outside your body. This makes for a faster, less invasive treatment than regular surgery.
Interventional radiology refers to essentially X-ray-guided procedures through minimal incisions. This technology can help patients with conditions from brain aneurysms to cancer and from uterine fibroids to varicose veins.
The benefits of vascular and interventional radiology are that most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis or with only very short hospital stays, there is less risk and pain than general surgery, recovery times are shorter, and there is less cost to you.
For more information or if you have questions about your vascular or interventional procedure, please visit our locations page for the location nearest you.