From its humble beginnings in the 1960s, interventional radiology has come a long way. Interventional radiology has become an important part of the medical field as technology has improved. It offers less invasive alternatives to traditional surgery. This blog will talk about all of the different interventional radiology techniques and improvements that have been made over time.

Table of Contents

Interventional radiology: a brief overview

Interventional radiology is a branch of medicine that uses imaging tools like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI to diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems. The main benefit of interventional radiology is that it lets doctors get to and treat organs and blood vessels inside the body without having to do traditional open surgery. This minimally invasive method causes less pain, a faster recovery, and less scarring.

Changes in the way interventional radiology is done

Stenting and Angioplasty:
In angioplasty, a balloon catheter is used to open up blood vessels that are blocked or too narrow. To do the procedure, a catheter is put into the affected blood vessel and a balloon is inflated to restore blood flow. Stenting is a similar procedure that involves putting a metal mesh scaffold inside the vessel to keep it open.

The results of angioplasty and stenting have gotten better over time thanks to changes in how these procedures are done. Newer stents called drug-eluting stents can release medicine to lower the risk of restenosis, which is when the blood vessel gets smaller again after the procedure.
Embolization:
Embolization is a way to stop blood from going to a certain part of the body. The procedure is done by injecting a small sphere or coil into the blood vessel that needs to be fixed. This “cuts off” the blood supply to the area being treated, which can be helpful when treating cancer, bleeding, and aneurysms.

Improvements in embolization have made it possible to deliver the embolic material more precisely, which has led to better results and fewer side effects. Biodegradable spheres and other new embolic materials have also made the procedure safer and more effective.
Ablation with radio waves:
Radiofrequency ablation, or RFA, is a way to kill cancer cells and other abnormal cells or tissue. The procedure is done by putting a needle into the affected area and heating the tissue with high-frequency radio waves, which kills the tissue.
Technology improvements in RFA have made the process more accurate and effective. Newer RFA techniques, like irreversible electroporation (IRE), can kill tissue without hurting the healthy cells around it.
Picture-based therapy:
Image-guided therapy is a way to do procedures with the help of images, such as CT scans or MRIs. This makes it easier for doctors to hit the right spot and improves the results of the procedure.
Image-guided therapy has become more accurate and safer as technology has improved. Real-time MRI guidance and other newer technologies have made it possible to do procedures in real time, which lowers the risk of problems.

Conclusion: – Since it was first used in the 1960s, interventional radiology has come a long way. Interventional radiology techniques have become more effective, safer, and less invasive as technology has improved. Interventional radiology gives patients a lot of options besides traditional surgery. These include angioplasty, stents, embolization, and radiofrequency ablation.