Our Tests, Treatments and Therapies at Interventional Neuroradiology at Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute
Interventional Neuroradiology at Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute offers the latest advances in minimally invasive procedures using image-based technology.
What is an angiogram? If your doctor believes you may have a problem with a blood vessel supplying the face or brain, he or she may advise you to have an imaging procedure called a cerebral angiogram or arteriogram. An angiogram is an x-ray study to look at the blood vessels. Angiograms can look at different parts of the body – a study looking at the blood vessels supplying the brain is often called a cerebral angiogram. There are also spinal angiograms, renal angiograms, coronary angiograms, etc.
Aneurysms
An aneurysm is an outpouching along the wall of a blood vessel where it has thinned and bulged out. When aneurysms cause problems, we can often treat them through minimally invasive methods known as "embolization."
Additional Information
Additional information on aneurysms:
Unruptured Aneurysm Embolization
Ruptured Aneurysm Embolization
Arteriovenous Malformations
An Arteriovenous Malformations of the brain is an abnormal collection of blood vessels (sometimes referred to as a "tangle" of blood vessels) that allows blood to flow directly from the arteries into the veins, and thus bypass the brain tissue. Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) form when the veins and arteries within your brain do not connect correctly. New technology has significantly improved the outlook for patients with blood vessel malformations.
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas
A dural arteriovenous fistula, also called a dural arteriovenous malformation, is an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins along the "dura," or lining of the brain, resulting from prior trauma, infection, or blood clots. We treat this condition individually, depending on which vessels are involved. Often we are able to treat this procedure by blocking off the unhealthy vessels with a procedure called embolization. Surgery may also be recommended.
Stroke
A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function due to lack of blood flow to the brain cells. In most cases, this is due to a blood clot causing a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain. Strokes may also occur as a result of a blood vessel rupturing and bleeding into or around the brain. Both situations are medical emergencies that require immediate medical attention.
Symptoms depend on the location of brain injury. Common warning signs of a stroke are:
- Sudden confusion
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause (especially a headache that is "the worst headache of my life.")
- Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes
- Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
For an acute stroke due to a blood clot (i.e., an "ischemic" stroke), we may try to break down or remove the blood clot using either a medication to dissolve it (such as tPA) or a device to pull the clot out. This allows us to restore normal blood flow and reverse the effects of the stroke.
We currently use two different FDA-approved clot retrieval devices for use in removing blood clots from the intracranial blood vessels of stroke patients. They have allowed us to successfully treat patients who could not be treated with blood clot dissolving medications alone.
For More Information
To learn more about the conditions we treat and the procedures we use, please visit the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery.
