Interventional radiology
What Is Interventional radiology ?
Interventional radiology (IR), also known as image-guided therapy, employs medical imaging technologies to aid doctors in diagnosing and treating various issues concerning blood vessels and lymphatic vessels throughout the body.
IR plays a crucial role in addressing lymphatic system and vascular (circulatory) system disorders in pediatric patients, whether they are congenital or acquired.
What Happens During an Interventional Radiology (IR) Procedure?
- Angiography: Used to examine the inside of blood vessels and address issues like narrowings or aneurysms.
- Bone and tumor treatments: Involves placing small needles inside tumors to shrink them while safeguarding surrounding tissue.
- Drain placements: Implemented to alleviate fluid buildup in areas like the lungs or abdomen.
- Joint aspirations or steroid injections: Conducted for injuries, arthritis, or inflammation.
- Insertion of central lines for treatment: This includes procedures like PICC lines, ports, and dialysis catheters.
- Abscess drainage: Performed to remove infection-related accumulations.
- GI procedures: Such as placing nasojejunal (NJ) or gastrostomy feeding tubes.
- Chest tube placement: Used to drain fluid or pus from the lungs.
- Biopsy: Involves obtaining tissue samples from tumors or organs for diagnostic purposes.
Benefits of Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiology serves a dual purpose. It grants your doctor direct access to the specific area of your body requiring treatment while minimizing the likelihood of encountering risky side effects associated with conventional treatment or surgery.
This is particularly significant in cancer treatment involving radioactive particles or chemotherapy, potent therapies capable of harming healthy tissues when administered throughout the body. Through interventional radiology, physicians can precisely deliver these treatments directly to tumors, sparing surrounding healthy tissue from damage.
Furthermore, interventional radiology procedures often eliminate the need for overnight hospital stays, offering added convenience and potentially reducing healthcare costs.