All You Need To Know About Interventional Neurology And Its Procedures

Interventional neurologists deal with a wide range of disorders that affect the critical parts of the brain, neck, spinal cord and nerves; they are highly trained to treat common yet complex neurological treatments. They are specially trained for using minimally invasive surgery and advanced image-guided and 3D technology to diagnose the affected body parts. Interventional neurologists are also equipped to perform diagnostic angiography for adults and children and various other procedures, including radiation therapy. Diseases such as – Stroke, Brain aneurysms, Vascular abnormalities, fistulas done for the brain and spine, Carotid artery diseases can be treated through interventional neurology.

Interventional neurologists deal with a wide range of disorders that affect the critical parts of the brain, neck, spinal cord and nerves; they are highly trained to treat common yet complex neurological treatments. They are specially trained for using minimally invasive surgery and advanced image-guided and 3D technology to diagnose the affected body parts. Interventional neurologists are also equipped to perform diagnostic angiography for adults and children and various other procedures, including radiation therapy. Diseases such as – Stroke, Brain aneurysms, Vascular abnormalities, fistulas done for the brain and spine, Carotid artery diseases can be treated through interventional neurology.

The procedures in interventional neurology are used to treat severe conditions that require prompt and precise attention. Some of the conditions that can be treated with Interventional Neurology are strokes, an Intracranial haemorrhage, Carotid Stenosis, Brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM), Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis, Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling, Carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF), Dural arteriovenous fistula, Extracranial (brachiocephalic) atherosclerosis Extracranial (head and neck) and paraspinal vascular malformations. Head and neck tumours (paragangliomas, acoustic neuromas) Intracranial atherosclerosis Tumor embolisation of Meningiomas and brain tumours nosebleed, Traumatic vascular lesions, Vasospasm etc.

Your doctor may recommend one or more procedures, depending on your medical condition. Some of the techniques used are

Angiography and venography are the two types of specialized X-rays exams that probes blockages and other neurovascular problems. Images of blood vessels are gained after injecting a radiopaque tube into the arteries and veins. Surgeons are now able to detect more diverse problems because of this enhanced visualisation, which wasn’t possible in conventional surgeries.

Early treatments can help minimise damage and helps in improving the recovery of the patient. If your doctor diagnoses some complications or abnormality, then he will proceed to further procedures. The process is simple, painless, and takes around two hours to be completed. Angiography and venography carry a few risks of bruising or bleeding at the puncture site.

If your neurosurgeon detects any blockages, they will perform an angioplasty procedure known as balloon angioplasty. In angioplasty and stenting, catheters are used to unblock the blood vessels and improve the blood flow in the neck and the brain vessels. The doctor will place a balloon-tipped catheter, as guided by x-ray, into an artery or vein. The balloon is then inflated and deflated to stretch the artery wall, thus restoring blockage.

Angioplasty can be done with or without stenting. At times a wire mesh tube – a stent, is permanently placed in the place of the newly opened blood vessel in order to continue the blood flow. This procedure is simple and can be performed with local anaesthesia. As general anaesthesia is not given, the patient need not stay overnight at the hospital.

Endovascular coiling is a minimally invasive technique that treats an aneurysm. Intracranial aneurysms, whether ruptured or unruptured, have always been a cause of concern for both patients and doctors. For many years, surgical clipping has been a mainstay for the treatment of aneurysms. However with the evolution in the field of endovascular cerebral techniques very good results can be achieved without the need of open surgery. Coiling is done by a doctor placing a thin wire-a coil to stop the blood flow, thus preventing ruptures. A catheter is inserted in a groin artery and then is advanced to the affected brain artery. This is done by dyeing the coil such that the X-rays can guide it to reach the affected part and deploy the coil there. Coils are tiny made up of metal. Sometimes glue or mesh or stents may also be used. Endovascular techniques have evolved tremendously in the last decade and with the advent of new stents, flow diverters, and better coils, the treatment of aneurysms has become much safer and effective. This procedure may take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to complete. Embolisation is also used to treat arteriovenous malformation, which is an abnormal blood flow between an artery and a vein. This may affect the spinal cord region, brain, or somewhere else in the body. These lesions can cause haemorrhage, weakness, seizures (fits) and even prolonged headaches. With the advent of endovascular procedures, these lesions can be treated without open head surgery.

This procedure is performed before surgical resection of a brain or spine tumour to stop the tumour’s blood supply. The neck, head, and spine tumours can be embolised to help reduce their blood supply and decrease their size before surgical removal.

Epistaxis or Nose bleeding can be a life-threatening condition for patients who face it regularly. Nose bleeding can occur due to numerous reasons, including blunt trauma, infections, the structure of your nose, tumours, etc. Emergent minimally invasive procedures can be performed to block the blood vessels deliberately in order to stop the bleeding.

This minimally invasive procedure is used to open blocked brain blood vessels. The clot in the blood vessels can be extracted by guiding instruments through the patient’s arteries. The instrument is guided by continuous X-rays or fluoroscopy. This procedure can treat paralytic attacks and provide excellent outcomes. There are very few procedures in medical science with such good results and success rates.