For a long time, women thought about themselves the least, always prioritizing the needs of the family and loved ones. Modern times are changing this attitude – now women pay more attention to their physical and emotional well-being, use the most advanced technologies and methods of treatment.
About modern treatments using interventional procedures, how they differ from traditional operations, what risks and what diseases they treat most effectively is explained by the Head of the Interventional Radiology Department of the Republican Vilnius University Hospital, doctor interventional radiologist Andrei Afanasyev.
Doctor interventional radiologist A. Afanasyev says that the fundamental question in medicine remains the same: how to help the patient recover as soon as possible, more efficiently and with minimal side effects, so that he returns to normal life as soon as possible. Minimally invasive procedures are often the answer to this question, because their essence and purpose is precisely this – to ensure effective treatment with the least possible impact on the patient’s body.
Today, according to the doctor, minimally invasive procedures are becoming the first-choice method of treatment in many areas, such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, gynecology and gastroenterology. In order for these methods to be applied even more widely, consistent technological, scientific and clinical progress is needed, as well as cooperation between doctors, so that specialists from different fields can exchange knowledge and experience, ensuring that each patient receives optimal, individualized treatment. When doctors share good practices and discuss complex cases, there is an opportunity to address challenges more quickly and improve patient care at all levels of healthcare.
“The spectrum of interventional radiology is extremely wide. For therapeutic purposes, with the help of various catheters, access is made to the necessary blood vessel or duct and the expansion of the narrowings with special dispensers (angioplasty) or the reinforcement of its wall with tubes of various metal (stenting) is performed. Blood vessels can be urgently unclogmed (thrombectomy is applied), for example, in case of occlusion of the arteries of the brain, intestines or limbs, or clogged, for example, during bleeding. Blood vessels that feed on tumors or other structures (uterine myomas, varicocele, arteriovenous malformations) can also be blocked. Highly innovative tools are used in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms, much attention is paid to the area of endovascular treatment of extremely complex aortic aneurysms using individual stentgrafts.
Finally, minimally invasive procedures are characterized by high efficiency and accuracy. Using real-time imaging technologies, interventional radiologists can accurately carry out the procedure where it is most necessary without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. During the procedure, everything is precisely controlled in real time, the course of the procedure is monitored, and extremely accurate and effective treatment is ensured,” assures the radiologist. To the question of whether prceduras can be performed on all patients without exceptions, or whether there are none, the doctor answers that invasive procedures are suitable for many patients, but, like any medical interventions, they may not be suitable for certain situations – for example, not all types of classification of uterine myomas are suitable for embolization, as are the sizes of myoma, grakym 15 cm and more – for such patientsit offers a traditional method of treatment. Also not suitable for patients with specific anatomical features or concomitant diseases, in the presence of very advanced oncological diseases or in the presence of allergies to certain contrast agents. In such cases, traditional surgical methods may be required, but each case must be evaluated by a team of competent doctors.
To the question of how often interventional radiology procedures are performed for women, and what is their availability in our country, the doctor radiologist A. Afanasyev answers that the frequency of interventional radiology procedures in women in Lithuania depends on the specific pathology. For example, the treatment of uterine myomas is embolization, which is currently gaining popularity. Low-invasive, sparing methods of interventional radiology for the female body are also successfully treated with endometriosis, pelvic full-blood syndrome, uterine bleeding, breast fibroids, as well as oncological diseases. “The range of irnors interventional radiology procedures is constantly expanding, as it is one of the most developing modern areas of medicine, the availability of which may vary in the regions – in metropolitan areas, where there are more specialized doctors and there is an adequate infrastructure, patients can more easily get these services. Meanwhile, in smaller towns, patients may face a lack of referral or information about such treatments – many women do not even know about this treatment option, some people still imagine the radiologist only as a description of the “photos”, do not know that radiology is applied not only in the diagnosis, but also in the treatment of various diseases. The choice of treatment methods also depends on the doctor’s experience and usual practices, so patients are not always referred for consultation with an interventional radiologist. Today, interventional radiology is one of the most advanced areas of medicine, but there is still a lack of additional education about the benefits of these procedures for both doctors and patients,” the doctor is convinced.
When asked which of the main advantages of minimally invasive procedures would be distinguished compared to traditional surgical procedures, A. Afanasyev distinguishes the fact that one of the main advantages of these procedures is the minimum intervention effect, which allows to achieve the deepest structures of the body without an open incision. According to the radiologist, the size of the incision is barely the size of a needle hole, so the body is not traumatized in the same way as during surgical procedures, when large, long-healing incisions are made, requiring both additional care in the hospital and a long recovery and recovery period. “For example, in the traditional treatment of uterine myomas, it is often suggested to perform myomectomy or even hysterectomy, which I constantly hear from women who apply, during which the uterus is removed. During the surgical operation, an incision 10-15 cm long in the lower abdomen is performed, general anesthesia is applied, and after the operation, patients have to lie in the hospital for 2 to 5 days. Full recovery after a hysterectomy takes 6-8 weeks. Meanwhile, in the treatment of uterine myomas in a minimally invasive way, for example, when embolizing, a prick of several millimeters in the groin is performed and local anesthesia is applied. After the procedure, the patient can return home in one or two days and quickly return to the usual rhythm of life. In most cases, minimally invasive procedures are performed on an outpatient basis or require only short-term hospitalization. This is a lesser burden for both the medical institution and the patient. In addition, such procedures usually cause less postoperative pain and discomfort,” the doctor lists the advantages.
You can read the full article about women’s health HERE.
