The Interventional Radiology team at VSH – North County is organized to provide comprehensive care in every facet of minimally invasive procedures. Interventional radiology is performed using state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to perform procedures on various body systems with the use of small catheters inserted into the arteries, veins, or other hollow organs within the body.

Imaging modalities include fluoroscopy, endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography, and MRI. Through the use of advanced imaging, these procedures are able to treat several disorders while minimizing pain, recovery time, complications, and long term side effects commonly seen with more invasive surgical procedures.

Our team is one of a few across the nation that can perform the vast procedures described below. Many of these procedures are performed through teamwork with our colleagues in the Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Radiology Services.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

The interventional radiology team uses minimally invasive procedures and dedicated medical equipment to treat the following conditions and diseases in dogs and cats:

Image guided, percutaneous interventions in the chest, abdomen, and extremities can be used to treat the conditions below. This represents a detailed, but incomplete list. The Interventional Radiology service accepts requests for client consultations and phone consultations with referring veterinarians. If you are interested in a procedure that is not on the list below, please contact us.

HEPATOBILIARY

• Liver cancer, treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)

• Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (IHPSS), treated with percutaneous transvenous coil embolization (PTCE)

• Bile duct obstructions, treated with stent placement, percutaneous catheter drainage

RESPIRATORY TRACT

• Nasopharyngeal stenosis, treated with balloon dilation, stent placement

• Tracheal and bronchial obstructions, treated with stent placement

• Nasal tumors, treated with embolization or chemoembolization

URINARY TRACT

• Transitional cell carcinoma, treated with stent placement or intra-arterial chemotherapy

• Prostate cancer, treated with embolization

• Canine ureteral obstructions (stones, clots, strictures), treated by cystoscopic (retrograde) stent placement

• Ureteral obstruction (bladder cancer), treated by percutaneous (antegrade) stent placement

• Feline ureteral obstructions, treated by subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) or stenting

• Renal hematuria, treated with sclerotherapy

GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

• Colonic/rectal cancer, treated by stent placement

• Colorectal strictures, treated with balloon dilation

• Esophageal obstruction, treated by stent placement

• Esophageal strictures, treated by balloon dilation, esophageal balloon-dilation feeding tube (BE-Tube) placement

• Nasojejunal feeding tube placement

VASCULAR

• Arteriovenous fistula/malformation, treated with embolization

• Epistaxis (bleeding from the nose), treated with embolization

• Vascular obstruction secondary to cancer, treated by stent placement

• Vascular foreign body retrieval

• Clot thrombolysis

• Vascular access device placement

THORACIC CAVITY

• Chylothorax, treated with embolization

• Recurrent effusion, treated with pleural ports