Department of Neurosurgery

What is interventional neuroradilogy (or endovascular neurosurgery)?

Interventional neuroradilogy (or endovascular neurosurgery) is a hybrid specialty that has recently evolved to diagnose and treat a range of neurological diseases. Using x-ray guidance small catheters are guided into the blood vessels of the neck and brain enabling a range of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

What conditions are treatable with interventional neuroradilogy (or endovascular neurosurgery)?

Interventional neuroradilogy (or endovascular neurosurgery )uses cerebral angiography to diagnose a variety of pathologies, including:

• Tumors of the brain and spinal column
• Cerebral aneurysms
• Vascular malformations
• Carotid stenosis
• Occlusions of intracranial vessels leading to impaired cerebral blood flow and stroke.

Once these conditions are diagnosed they may be treated using a variety of techniques, for example:

• Tumors of the brain spinal column can be devascularized by embolization procedures.
• Aneurysms can be occluded using detachable coils and stents when appropriate.
• The blood supply to vascular malformations can be reduced with embolization.
• Stents can be deployed to treat stenosis of the carotid arteries.
• Lastly intravascular thrombolysis can be used to dissolve blood clots in the major cerebral vessels that are causing stroke.

Frequently neurointerventional procedures are employed as part of a larger treatment plan that incorporates traditional open surgical methods. For example, a brain tumor may be devascularized using neurointerventional techniques prior to surgical resection.