University Medical Center at Princeton currently offers the following interventional radiology procedures:
Angiography
An X-ray exam of the arteries and veins to diagnose
blockages and other blood vessel problems;
uses a catheter to enter the blood vessel and
a contrast agent (X-ray dye) to make the artery
or vein visible on the X-ray.
Balloon Angioplasty
Opens blocked or narrowed blood vessels by inserting
a very small balloon into the vessel and inflating
it. Used by interventional radiologists to unblock
clogged arteries in the legs or arms (called
peripheral vascular disease or PVD), kidneys,
brain or elsewhere in the body.
Biliary Drainage and Stenting
Uses a stent (small mesh tube) to open up blocked ducts
and allow bile to drain from the liver.
Central Venous Access - PORTS and PIC Lines
Insertion of a tube beneath the skin and into the blood
vessels so that patients can receive medication or nutrients
directly into the blood stream or so blood can be drawn.
Chemoembolization
Delivery of cancer-fighting agents directly to the site
of a cancer tumor; currently being used mostly to treat cancers
of the endocrine system, including melanoma and liver cancers.
Discography - Lumbar
A pre-surgical evaluation whereby contrast dye
is injected into the disc for visualization.
Embolization
Delivery of clotting agents (coils, plastic particles,
gel, foam, etc.) directly to an area that is bleeding or to block
blood flow to a problem area, such as an aneurysm or a fibroid
tumor in the uterus.
Gastrostomy Tube
Feeding tube inserted into the stomach for patients
who are unable to take sufficient food by mouth.
Hemodialysis Access Maintenance
Use of angioplasty or thrombolysis to open blocked grafts
for hemodialysis, which treats kidney failure.
IVC Filter Placement
A filter is placed in a vessel to prevent clots
from traveling from the legs to the lungs.
Needle Biopsy
Diagnostic test for breast, lung and other cancers;
an alternative to surgical biopsy.
Nephrostomy
Placement of a tube into the kidney to alleviate
obstruction.
Stent
A small flexible tube made of plastic or wire mesh, used to treat
a variety of medical conditions (e.g., to hold open clogged blood vessels or
other pathways that have been narrowed or blocked by tumors or obstructions).
Stent - Graft
Reinforces a ruptured or ballooning section of an artery
(an aneurysm) with a fabric-wrapped stent with a small, flexible
mesh tube used to "patch" the blood vessel. Also known
as an endograph.
Thrombolysis
Dissolves blood clots by injecting clot-busting drugs
at the site of the clot.
TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt)
A life-saving procedure to improve blood flow and prevent
hemorrhage in patients with severe liver dysfunction.
Uterine Artery Embolization
An embolization procedure of uterine arteries to stop
life- threatening postpartum bleeding, potentially preventing
hysterectomy. The same procedure is used to treat fibroid tumors
and is then called UFE (Uterine Fibroid Embolization).
Uterine Fibroid Embolization
An embolization procedure of uterine arteries to shrink
painful, enlarged, benign tumors in the uterus, also called UAE
(Uterine Artery Embolization).
Vertebroplasty (Percutaneous
Vertebroplasty)
A minimally-invasive procedure to treat vertebral
compression fractures causing pain and spinal
deformity. X-ray guidance is used to accurately
place acrylic bone cement into partially collapsed
vertebra. Hardened cement fills the spaces
within the damaged bone, stabilizing the vertebral
structure and relieving pain. |
