Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and constitutes a true medical emergency in which every minute counts. In this scenario, interventional radiology (IVR) has established itself as a decisive tool to save lives and reduce sequelae.
IVR is a medical subspecialty that uses advanced imaging techniques to perform minimally invasive procedures with high safety and efficacy indexes. Initially conceived as an alternative for patients at high risk for conventional surgery, in recent decades its field of action has been extended to practically all surgical specialties, such as vascular, neurological, gynecological and urological, among others, with results equal or even superior to those of open surgery, with less recovery time and without scars.
Stroke is a disease characterized by the occlusion of a cerebral vessel by a blood clot, in most cases. The RxVI makes it possible to precisely locate the obstruction and unblock it by means of endovascular techniques, achieving a rapid restoration of circulation and thus mitigating the possible sequelae resulting from the stroke. "Time is a determining factor in the event of a stroke. Today, interventional radiology professionals can act quickly and precisely, significantly improving the patient's prognosis. Thanks to this minimally invasive surgical technique, recovery can range from a few hours to a few days, and is always less than the recovery time of a conventional open surgical alternative," explains Dr. Tobías Zander, head of the Endovascular and Interventional Radiology Service at Hospiten in the Canary Islands.
It should be noted that the leading cause of death in women is stroke. The possibility of minimally invasive intervention has meant a crucial advance in neurovascular care, reducing the morbimortality of this disease. Our service has been a pioneer in endovascular techniques and specifically in the treatment of stroke, which we started more than 20 years ago.
The RxVI subspecialty requires a thorough knowledge of the techniques employed and the interpretation of various imaging modalities including: ultrasound,computed tomography, direct fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging and digitalizedsubtractionangiography. Dr. Zander points out that "it is essential to acquire the ability to use specific tools, such as guidewires and catheters, which introduce interventional radiology as a field ofminimally invasivesurgery to replace conventional surgery. "
Interventionalradiologyin sports
Beyond the neurovascular field, IVR also plays a relevant role in the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries.Imaging techniques allowus to precisely identify these lesions and facilitate their approach by means of image-guided punctures, aspirations and embolizations. Ablation techniques are also used for the control of acute or chronic pain.
Advantages for the patient
Among the main advantages of minimally invasive procedures is that they aretechniques that allow access to the human body through natural orifices or direct punctures, which makes it possible to perform most procedures under local anesthesia, thus avoiding general anesthesia. "These procedures minimize trauma to the patient, resulting infasterrecovery, greater comfort andreduced costs," says Dr. Zander.
However, there are situations in which anesthesia is necessary to avoid involuntary movements of the patient, especially in sensitive anatomical areas where any movement can lead to serious complications.
To minimize the risk of complications, the skill of the physician is essential. For this reason, physicians specializing in RxVI and minimally invasivesurgeryreceive several years of additional training in addition to theirbasic specialist training.
The island of Tenerife, a benchmark in interventional radiology by 2026
In November of this year, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife) will host the SERVEI (Spanish Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology)Update Conference and theInternational Congress of the SIDI (Ibero-American Society of Interventional Radiology), meetings led by Dr. Tobias Zander that will bring together more than 400 professionals from all over Latin America and will consolidate Tenerife as a national and international reference in the field of interventional radiology.