Interventional Radiology

Interventional Radiology: The Minimally Invasive Power of Modern Medicine

Interventional Radiology is an advanced medical specialty that uses imaging technologies to treat many diseases without the need for surgery or with very small incisions. Thanks to procedures performed with imaging guidance such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), angiography, and fluoroscopy, diagnosis and treatment can be carried out in the same session.

What Is the Difference Between Radiology and Interventional Radiology?

Radiology diagnoses diseases and conditions using imaging techniques such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. Radiologists interpret these images to make an accurate diagnosis.

Interventional radiology does not stop at diagnosis alone. It includes performing minimally invasive procedures under imaging guidance to treat various conditions. While traditional radiologists primarily make diagnoses, interventional radiologists both diagnose and treat.

Procedures in interventional radiology guide treatment using methods that are far less invasive than surgery. Interventional radiologic procedures, which offer patients less risk, less pain, and faster recovery without large surgical incisions, are divided into two major groups: vascular and nonvascular.

These methods are safely used across a wide range of areas, from vascular diseases to oncologic treatments, from organ biopsies to drainage procedures, and from pain management to dialysis vascular access procedures. Each procedure aims to reach the target area with millimetric precision.

Vascular Interventional Procedures

Vascular procedures performed in the angiography unit are carried out through a small access point in the groin or wrist, allowing safe access to the target vessel. During the procedures, the vascular structure is visualized in detail with an angiography device, and treatment can be applied at the same time.

Vascular interventional procedures include:

• Treatment of vascular stenosis and occlusions with balloon angioplasty and stents
• Treatments for diabetic foot and critical limb ischemia
• Opening and repair of dialysis fistulas and grafts
• Treatments for deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Interventional treatment of varicose veins and venous diseases
• Vascular embolization procedures (stopping bleeding, treating aneurysms and vascular malformations)
• Treatment of venous malformations (venous clusters)
• Endovascular treatments in patients with stroke
• Placement of central venous catheters, port catheters, and vena cava filters

The most important advantages of these methods are that they require a small incision, cause less pain, carry a lower risk of complications, shorten hospital stays, and allow patients to return to daily life more quickly.

Nonvascular Interventional Procedures

Nonvascular interventional procedures are minimally invasive interventions that include diagnostic and therapeutic applications for organs and tissues outside the vascular system. These procedures are performed with high precision under imaging guidance such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and fluoroscopy.

Nonvascular interventional procedures include:

• Biopsies guided by ultrasound and CT
• Drainage of abscesses and fluid collections
• Biliary drainage and stent placement
• Nephrostomy and ureteral interventions
• Cyst and abscess drainage
• Tunneled and non-tunneled central venous catheter placement
• Pain management procedures
• Tumor ablation therapies (microwave, radiofrequency, and cryoablation)
• Image-guided marking and localization procedures
• Electrochemotherapy and electrochemoembolization treatments
• TACE (Transarterial Chemoembolization)
• TARE (Transarterial Radioembolization)

Each procedure is planned individually according to the patient's clinical condition and needs. Before the procedure, the necessary evaluations are performed and the patient is given detailed information. Patient comfort is prioritized during the procedure, and local anesthesia or sedation can be administered when needed.

Interventional radiology is not considered traditional surgery. However, it involves performing surgery-like procedures under imaging guidance. These procedures are minimally invasive. They require only small incisions or no incision at all. This makes them less traumatic to the body than traditional surgery.

Our Interventional Radiology unit, which combines the opportunities offered by technology with medical expertise, provides our patients with contemporary treatment options that are less invasive, promote faster recovery, and aim to improve quality of life. We are always by your side with reliable and innovative solutions that add value to your health.