Interventional neuroradiology is a subspecialty in which advanced imaging and endovascular tools are used to work within the blood vessels to treat the most life-threatening vascular diseases of the brain, head, neck and spine.
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation specialists from the fields of neurology, neuroradiology and neurosurgery work together in California Pacific Medical Center's dedicated neurointerventional suite.
Using advanced noninvasive imaging technology, including a 64-slice CT scanner with CT angiography and perfusion mapping capability, as well as a 3-tesla MRI with MRI angiography and venography, we can often diagnose miniscule aneurysms and other hemorrhagic lesions. In addition, our state-of-the-art neurointerventional suite has a biplane high-resolution digital angiography system with rotational capability for real-time 3D processing and analysis, optimized to provide the most detailed views of blood vessels in the neck and brain for treatment planning.
Our care team uses this advanced imaging technology to carefully navigate a variety of small catheters from an access site in the groin up to the vessels in the neck and brain. Through these catheters, and with these tools, they can perform a vast repertoire of endovascular surgeries. For instance, when a patient presents with an acute ischemic stroke and is found to have blockage of an artery in the brain, our care team can open the vessel and restore normal blood flow by either pulling out the clot through a catheter or injecting medication directly into the clot to dissolve it. As a Joint Commission Certified Stroke Center, CPMC is committed to providing the most advanced and comprehensive care for patients with stroke.
When a patient has a ruptured brain aneurysm, our team can navigate a catheter into the aneurysm itself, and pack it full of coils to make it clot off, then remove the catheter and leave normal blood flow in the healthy vessels. This prevents further bleeding while avoiding the risks of open brain surgery.
These, and many other complex neurovascular disorders, are the focus and passion of the highly skilled neurointerventional surgeons, who share a deep commitment to providing the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to patients and their families.
