What procedures do Interventional Radiologists perform?
Interventional radiologists perform a vast variety of procedures including: • angiography – an x-ray of the arteries and veins to detect blockage or narrowing of the vessels. In many cases, the interventional radiologist can treat the blockages, such as those occurring in the arteries in the legs or kidneys, by inserting a small stent which inflates and opens the vessel. This procedure is called a balloon angioplasty • needle biopsy – a small needle is inserted into the abnormal area in almost any part of the body, guided by imaging techniques, to obtain a tissue biopsy. This type of biopsy can provide a diagnosis without surgical intervention. An example of this procedure is called the needle breast biopsy. • blood clot filters – a small filter is inserted into the body to catch and break up blood clots. • injection of clot-lysing agents – clot-lysing agents are injected into the body to dissolve blood clots, thereby increasing flow to the heart or brain.
