The Role of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in the Management of Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Nearly 50 years ago, catheter angiography was introduced as a means of both diagnosing and treating nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Technological advances and innovations have resulted in the introduction of microcatheters that, using a coaxial technique, are capable of selecting third-order arterial branches and of delivering a wide array of embolic agents. This article reviews the imaging diagnosis of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the techniques of diagnostic and therapeutic angiography, the angiographic appearance of the various etiologies of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the rationale behind case-specific selection of embolic agents as well as the anticipated outcome of transcatheter arterial embolization.

Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using transvenous intravascular US catheter guidance in patients with chronic renal failure.

Purpose: To describe the transvenous application of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) for guidance during endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).

Materials And Methods: Eight patients with an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and chronic renal failure were determined suitable for EVAR. The procedure was performed by deploying the transcaval and transiliac vein guidance of an ICE catheter to reduce the dosage of iodinated contrast medium.

The evaluation of a novel technique to treat saphenous vein incompetence: preclinical animal study to examine safety and efficacy of a new vein occlusion device.

Objectives: We tested a novel technique to treat great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence in an animal model.

Methods: V-block (VVT Medical Ltd, Kfar Saba, Israel), an occlusion device composed of a nitinol frame and anchoring hooks, was percutaneously deployed at the saphenofemoral junction in 12 sheep. Four of the 12 sheep were treated with adjunctive liquid sclerotherapy.

Minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of liver tumors.

Background: Despite advances in cancer therapy the treatment of liver tumors remains a challenge. Most patients are poor candidates for surgical resection; both chemotherapy and irradiation have a low success rate and neither is without complications. New minimally invasive techniques for ablation of unresectable tumors have gained attention as effective treatment alternatives.