Interventional radiology

The H.U.B’s Interhospital Department of Interventional Radiology is divided into 5 sections:   

• Vascular disease and embolization covers arterial or venous angiography and angioplasty (placing of a stent and prosthesis, in cooperation with  vascular surgery) and embolization. The latter consists of blocking a blood vessel for therapeutic purposes, to stop haemorrhaging for example.   
• The osteoarticular  section covers infiltrations, biopsies, the thermoablation of bone tumours and cementoplasty (injection of intraosseous “cement”) with or without percutaneous osteosynthesis, in cooperation with orthopaedic surgery. 
• The nephrology, urology and gynaecology  sector covers the embolization of uterine fibroids, of benign  prostatic hypertrophy and of pelvic  varicoceles and varicose veins, as well as nephrostomy. This section also provides vascular access for dialysis and creates arteriovenous fistula by percutaneous means.  
• The oncological section permits the placing of implantable ports and PICC lines (venous access),  pain management through infiltration, neuroloysis or radiofrequency as well as the treatment of certain cancers (see Focus).   
• The thoracic pathologies section covers biopsies, haemostatic embolization, percutaneous ablation of lung tumours and thermoablation of benign thyroid nodules.    

Interventional radiology also covers biopsies and drainage under ultrasound, radiological or tomodensitomety (scanner) control.    

Interventional radiology is used for a minimally invasive treatment of certain cancers and benign tumours. A number of techniques are proposed:   

• The destruction of liver, kidney and lung tumours by thermoablation (radiofrequencies, microwaves and cryotherapy);   
• Chemoembolization, radioembolization and portal embolization;    
• Thermoablation of benign thyroid nodules ; 
• Embolization of prostatic arteries in the framework of benign hypertrophy of the prostate gland.