How They Work
A long thin flexible tube, called a catheter, is inserted through a tiny hole in your skin into a blood vessel in your body. The catheter is then guided through your circulatory system using X-ray techology. The interventional radiologist watches the progress of the catheter in your blood vessel and guides it carefully to its destination. Different catheters have different tips to allow the interventional radiologist to choose the one that will most easily reach the destination from the entry point.
Catheters are hollow inside, allowing the interventional radiologist to feed the necessary tools through it to perform the procedure. For example, if endovenous ablation is being done, the radiologist will insert a tiny laser through the catheter to perform the ablation at the end of the catheter. For procedures like angioplasty and stent placement, the catheter itself may be the tool, with a balloon on the end that can be inflated to open up a constricted blood vessel.
Your Experience
You will be placed on an examination table in a radiology suite, which contains equipment for imaging. You will be connected to monitors to watch your blood pressure and heart rate during the procedure. An IV will be inserted by a CRNA (certified register nurse anestatist) so that the sedative medication can be administered.
The small area where the catheter will enter your body, generally in your groin, will be shaved and sterilized, then covered with a surgical drape.
A local anesthetic will be applied before a small nick is made in your skin. This incision is just about the size of a pencil point, and will not require stitches. This is where the catheter will be inserted into your blood vessel. The local anesthetic is applied with a needle, so you will feel a small pinprick.
A hollow needle and sheath are then placed into the nick so that the catheter can move smoothly into your blood vessel. You may feel a slight pressure, but no serious discomfort.
The catheter is guided through your blood vessel to the precise location where treatment is needed. The guidance is done by watching the catheter with live x-ray, called fluoroscopy.
Once the catheter has reached the procedure site, the procedure is done by using tiny devices to perform the treatment.
After the treatment has been done, the catheter and needle are removed. Your exam table will be wheeled into the recovery area until you feel comfortable and ready to leave.