When Seconds Count: Interventional Radiology Treatment for Pulmonary Embolism Saves Lives

FAIRFAX, Va./PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catheter-directed therapy or catheter-directed thrombolysis--an interventional radiology treatment that uses targeted image-guided drug delivery with specially designed catheters to dissolve dangerous blood clots in the lungs--saves lives and should be considered a first-line treatment option for massive pulmonary embolism, note researchers in the November Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

"Modern catheter-directed therapy for acute pulmonary embolism saves lives, and we need to raise awareness about its safety and effectiveness not only among the general public but also within the medical community. It's a matter of life and death," said William Kuo, M.D., an interventional radiologist who is assistant professor and fellowship director of vascular and interventional radiology in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, Calif. "In our study, we conclude that modern catheter-directed therapy is a relatively safe and effective treatment for acute massive pulmonary embolism and should be considered as a first-line treatment option," he added.

Pulmonary embolism occurs when one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked from blood clots that break free and travel there. These clots most often begin as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots within the deep leg veins. When the clots break free, circulate and become trapped in the lungs, they can block the oxygen supply, cause heart failure and result in death. About 600,000 cases of acute pulmonary embolism are diagnosed each year in the United States, and an estimated 300,000 patients die, noted Kuo. "If initiated early, minimally invasive catheter-directed therapy could save many of those lives," added the lead author of the study, "Catheter-directed Therapy for the Treatment of Massive Pulmonary Embolism: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Modern Techniques."

source: PR Newswire

GE Healthcare and Veran Medical Technologies Announce Imaging and Navigation Collaboration for Interventional Procedures at RSNA 2009

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – December 1, 2009 – Today, GE Healthcare, a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), and Veran Medical Technologies, Inc., announced that they have collaborated to validate the compatibility of the Veran ig4 Navigation system and GE Innova® imaging systems for use in the imaging suites during interventional procedures. The announcement was made at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2009 meeting in Chicago, Ill.

Veran ig4 is a multi-modality navigation system that utilizes electromagnetic localization and image fusion to display an interventional instrument, such as a biopsy needle, an aspiration needle, or an ablation needle, on a computer monitor that also displays a CT-based model of the target organ(s). GE’s Innova imaging systems acquire computerized tomography (CT)-like patient images, which under the terms of the collaboration agreement, can be exported to the Veran ig4 Navigation system in the same imaging suite, during the same interventional procedure. The Innova CT image will be displayed along with a virtual needle over the anatomy to be used for navigation during the procedure. The resulting displayed image will provide navigation information to help physicians insert biopsy needles, ablation (RF, cryotherapy, and microwave) probes and other devices through the skin more quickly and with greater target accuracy. “This can help speed procedures, freeing procedure room time and improving access to care while enhancing quality of care. We anticipate this collaboration will help clinicians to achieve greater accuracy, perform procedures more quickly and potentially reduce radiation dose to patients,” Jayant Saha, General Manager, Strategic Interventional Market Development for GE Healthcare.

source: GE Healthcare