Interventional Radiology (IR) procedures include:
- Angiography. This is an X-ray of the arteries and veins to find blockage or narrowing of the vessels, as well as other blood vessel problems.
- Angioplasty. This minimally invasive procedure that uses a balloon to open a blocked or narrowed artery and improve blood flow. The doctor puts the small balloon-tipped catheter into a blood vessel. Then he or she inflates the balloon to open up an area of blockage inside the vessel.
- Catheter insertions. For certain cancers, chemoembolization can be used to inject the tumor site.
- Cancer treatment. The doctor gives the cancer medicine directly to the tumor site.
- Clot dissolving. The doctor injects clot-dissolving medicines to increase blood flow to your arms, legs, or organs in your body.
- Embolization. The doctor places medications or embolic agents through a catheter into a blood vessel to stop blood flow through that vessel. This can be done to control bleeding, close off vessels supplying blood to a tumor, and treat aneurysms.
- Foreign body removal. The doctor puts a catheter into a blood vessel to remove a foreign body in the vessel.
- Gastrostomy tubes. The doctor puts a feeding tube into the stomach if you can’t take food by mouth, allowing you to receive nutrition without having to swallow the food you need.
- Intravascular ultrasound. The doctor uses ultrasound to see inside a blood vessel to find problems.
- IVC filters. The doctor puts a small filter into the inferior vena cava (IVC). This is a large vein in your abdomen. The filter catches blood clots that may go into your lungs.
- Needle biopsy. The doctor puts a small needle into almost any part of the body, guided by imaging techniques, to take a tissue biopsy. This type of biopsy can give a diagnosis without surgery. An example of this procedure is called the needle breast biopsy.
- Stent placement. The doctor places a tiny mesh coil (stent) inside a blood vessel at the site of a blockage. He or she expands the stent to open up the blockage.