Techniques in vascular and interventional radiology
-
Tech Vasc Interv Radiol · Sep 2005
ReviewEndovascular treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.
The modern management of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is based on three therapeutic modalities: microneurosurgery, endovascular embolization, and stereotactic radiosurgery. Embolization facilitates subsequent radiosurgery by reducing the volume of the nidus, prepares the resection of surgically accessible AVMs, and immediately addresses the risks related to associated intra/extranidal aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas. We discuss in this article the current state of AVM endovascular therapy.
-
Tech Vasc Interv Radiol · Sep 2005
Review Comparative StudyEndovascular management of a patient after SAH.
Treatment of acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages consists of occluding the aneurysm to prevent rebleed, attempting to prevent vasospasm, and maintaining blood flow to the brain through vessels in vasospasm. Endovascular treatment has been shown to be as safe as, or safer, than surgical clipping for patients with SAH. Engineering solutions to our clinical problems continue to improve endovascular outcomes. This article reviews the current state of endovascular therapy.
-
The International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) was a multicenter randomized trial that compared the safety and efficacy of endovascular coil treatment versus surgical clipping for the treatment of ruptured brain aneurysms. To be eligible for enrollment in the ISAT trial, each patient had to be deemed equally suitable for either coiling or clipping. The investigators used the term "clinical equipoise" to describe this balance. This study more than any other has set the playing field for the future of interventional radiology/endovascular neurosurgery politics.
-
Emergency medical services (EMS) is the first medical contact for most acute stroke patients, thereby playing a pivotal role in the identification and treatment of acute cerebrovascular brain injury. The benefit of thrombolysis and interventional therapies for acute ischemic stroke is highly time dependent, making rapid and effective EMS response of critical importance. In addition, the general public has suboptimal knowledge about stroke warning signs and the importance of activating the EMS system. ⋯ However, it has been repeatedly shown that utilization of the 911 system is associated with accelerated arrival times to the ED, crucial to timely treatment of stroke patients. Finally, improved stroke recognition in the field has led investigators to study in the field treatment of stroke patients with neuroprotective agents. The potential impact of this on future of stroke treatment will be discussed.
-
Tech Vasc Interv Radiol · Mar 2005
ReviewEndovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms: pre- and postprocedural imaging.
Endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms is a safe alternative to conventional open surgical repair. Clinical success, however, is highly dependent on patient selection. ⋯ Following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), patients require long-term surveillance and again vascular imaging serves an integral function. This article reviews EVAR selection criteria and post-EVAR assessment and then discusses the imaging modalities used to evaluate these patients, namely multi-detector-row computed tomographic angiography, magnetic resonance imaging/angiography, duplex ultrasonography, and catheter angiography.