One of the most common reasons for angiograms is to see if there is a blockage or narrowing in a blood vessel that may interfere with the normal flow of blood through the body. In many cases, the interventional radiologist can treat a blocked blood vessel without surgery at the same time the angiogram is performed. Interventional radiologists treat blockages with techniques called angioplasty and thrombolysis.

Angioplasty is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. These blood vessels are called the coronary arteries. A coronary artery stent is a small, metal mesh tube that expands inside a coronary artery. A stent is often placed during or immediately after angioplasty. It helps prevent the artery from closing up again. A drug-eluting stent has medicine embedded in it that helps prevent the artery from closing in the long term.

AVMs are defects in your vascular system. The vascular system includes arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart to other organs; veins carry blood back to the heart. Capillaries connect the arteries and veins. An AVM is a snarled tangle of arteries and veins. They are connected to each other, with no capillaries. That interferes with the blood circulation in an organ. In Embolization procedures, physicians use image guidance to fill AVMs with liquid embolic agents (similar to fast-sealing glue), thereby treating the presenting symptoms, and preventing new ones.

What is the inferior vena cava (IVC)?
IVC is the large vein in the abdomen that returns blood from the lower body to the heart.

What is IVC filter placement and what are some common uses for the procedure?
Blood clots that form in the veins of the legs and pelvis (also called deep vein thrombosis) can break up and travel to the lungs and heart, which can cause a pulmonary embolism or blockage. An IVC filter (small metal device) is placed by an interventional radiologist using image guidance, which traps the fragments of the blood clots and prevents them from traveling to the lungs and heart. These filters can be permanent or removed later when the risk of the blood clot has diminished.

IVC filter placement is used for patients with a high risk of developing blood clots in the legs and for those who cannot be treated by traditional methods such as taking blood thinners.

A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is a long catheter that extends from an arm or leg vein into the largest vein (superior vena cava or inferior vena cava ) near the heart and typically provides central IV access for several weeks, but may remain in place for several months.

What is catheter-directed thrombolysis?
Thrombolysis is a minimally invasive procedure that treats vascular blockages by dissolving abnormal blood clots in blood vessels, which improves blood flow and prevents damage to tissue and organs. When there is a blockage in a blood vessel, blood will clot and become gel-like. If not treated, the blood clot will continue to grow and cut off blood supply to parts of the body causing serious damage and potentially the loss of an organ or extremity. In a catheter-directed thrombolysis procedure, an interventional radiologist uses x-ray imaging to help guide medication or a device to the site of the blood clot.