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Uterine Fibroid Embolisation

What is a Uterine Fibroid Embolisation? Fibroids (also known as leiomyoma) are benign growths (non-cancerous) in the uterus or womb. They are common in fertile women and usually shrink after the menopause. The majority of fibroids are asymptomatic (without any obvious symptoms) and are either not known about by the individual or are found incidentally on examination…


Interventional Radiological Treatment of Intracranial (Brain) Aneurysms

What is an intracranial (brain) aneurysm? An intracranial (brain) aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning of the wall of an artery, which is a type of blood vessel carrying blood to the brain. The aneurysm is like a small sac and is localised, meaning it is limited to a small area, within the artery. In the brain, these vessels carry blood to the brain at high pressure compared to…


Vertebroplasty

What is a vertebroplasty? Vertebroplasty is a medical term which refers to the injection of a plastic cement, called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), into a vertebral body or small bones that make up the spinal column. Vertebrae in the spine are typically thick bone enclosing a hole for the spinal cord. They can become damaged through becoming weak with osteoporosis,…


Angioplasty and Stent Insertion

What is an angioplasty and stent insertion? Angioplasty and stent insertion is used to treat narrowing in an artery. Angioplasty uses a small, sausage-shaped balloon to stretch the artery open and improve blood flow. The stent is a small, metal cylinder that acts like a small scaffold to hold the artery permanently open. Angioplasty is the name of the procedure carried…


Whole Body MIBI Myeloma Scan

What is a whole body MIBI myeloma scan? A whole body MIBI myeloma scan is a nuclear medicine scan which involves the injection of a radioactive material or radioactive tracer called technetium-99m-Sestamibi, or MIBI for short. MIBI is injected into a vein, usually on the front of your arm near the level of your elbow or on the back of your hand, and is taken up by any myeloma…


Pleural Aspiration

What is a pleural aspiration? A pleural aspiration is a procedure where a small needle or tube is inserted into the space between the lung and chest wall to remove fluid that has accumulated around the lung. This space is called the pleural space. Pleural aspiration is usually carried out to determine why there is fluid around the lung (diagnostic procedure) or to improve…


Ascitic Tap

What is an ascitic tap? An ascitic tap is a medical procedure where a needle is used to drain fluid that is trapped in an internal body cavity, most commonly the abdomen (belly). Fluid may have to be drained from the abdomen for different reasons, such as if the fluid is stretching the abdomen and causing pain; if the fluid is infected; or if a doctor needs to analyse the fluid…


Image Guided Liver Biopsy

What is an image guided liver biopsy? Image guided liver biopsy is a procedure where liver cells are obtained by a needle inserted directly into the liver through the abdominal wall, in the stomach area, and examined. The reason for requesting this test is that your referring doctor seeks an assessment of the liver tissue to look for any abnormality or disease that may be…


Foetal MRI

What is a foetal MRI? Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a way of taking detailed pictures of the inside of the body. It is useful for looking at many parts of the body. A foetal MRI gives additional information about your baby from the information received from an ultrasound scan that will have been carried out routinely during your pregnancy. During an MRI scan, pictures…


Vascular Closure Devices

What are vascular closure devices? A vascular closure device is usually a piece of collagen (a fibrous protein found in skin, bone and connective tissue), metallic clip or suture (stitch) designed to provide immediate sealing of the small puncture made in an artery after an angiogram. Angiography is the imaging of blood vessels that appear on live X-ray images or pictures.…


Venous Access

What is venous access? In radiology, venous access generally refers to central venous access, which is the insertion of a specially made thin, flexible tube, known as a catheter, into a central vein. The central veins are the large veins within the chest and abdomen. With a catheter in place, treatments such as chemotherapy or antibiotics can be given through the catheter…


Varicose Vein Ablation

What is varicose vein ablation? Our understanding of varicose veins and how best to treat patients with this problem has improved in the past decade. This is in part due to the use of duplex ultrasound, which is used to look at blood flow in the veins. Normally, blood circulates from the heart to the legs via arteries and back to the heart via the veins. Duplex Doppler ultrasound…


Radiofrequency Ablation

What is radiofrequency ablation? Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure carried out to remove diseased tissue or a tumour (a lump) from the body. It is one type of what is called tumour ablation (or removal). Tumour ablation is where a needle is placed directly into a tumour so that a chemical (usually alcohol or acetic acid) or thermal (heat or ice) treatment can be applied…