Interventional Radiology

Interventional Radiology (IR) is the minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of medical conditions through breakthrough techniques that once required open surgery. The concept behind interventional radiology is to diagnose and treat patients using the least invasive techniques currently available to minimize risk to the patient and improve health outcomes.

By harnessing the power of advanced imaging (ultrasound, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and other innovative methods), our board-certified interventional radiologists can diagnose and treat complex conditions—even cardiovascular disease and cancer—less invasively and with unprecedented precision.

Oftentimes, Interventional Radiology provides numerous benefits to patients compared to open surgical techniques, including shorter recovery time, less pain, and reduced risk of complications.

Singing River physicians are continually at the forefront of research and development of angiography and interventional procedures.

Treating Chronic Kidney Disease with IR

Chronic kidney disease affects millions of people worldwide. The final stage of kidney disease is called End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). When you have ESKD, your kidneys can no longer keep up with your body’s need to remove extra waste and water. In fact, once your kidneys only have 10-15% of normal function, dialysis
treatments or a kidney transplant are necessary to sustain life.

What is Kidney Disease?

Healthy kidneys remove waste and excess water, help make red blood cells, and work to control blood pressure. When kidneys fail, they are unable to complete these functions. While there is no cure for kidney failure, treatment is available.

If you have failing kidneys, you may require dialysis to help filter waste products from your blood. For dialysis, a connection between your blood (vascular system) and a dialysis machine is needed.

What Is The WavelinQ™ 4F EndoAVF System?

When a person has end-stage renal disease and is surviving through hemodialysis, the continued insertion of a dialysis needle into a vein can cause scarring and even destruction of the vein.

To avoid that issue, we create what is known as an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), where an artery is connected directly to a nearby vein. This increases blood pressure and the amount of blood flow through the vein. This makes it easier to insert a needle and the increased blood flow is necessary for adequate hemodialysis treatment.

At Singing River Health System, we are excited to add the latest technology for our end-stage renal disease patients who need these arteriovenous fistulas. It is known as the BD WavelinQ™ 4F endoAVF system, and it will increase our AVF location options and provide more flexibility in treating these patients.

Benefits Of The WavelinQ™ 4F

For end-stage renal disease patients who are surviving thanks to hemodialysis, the creation of an arteriovenous fistula is a necessity to ensure continued ability to place the dialysis needle. In the past, creating an AVF has only been possible through open surgery. In patients already weakened by renal disease, open surgery simply adds another level of stress on the body and risk.

The WavelinQ™ system now enables us to create the AVF through minimally invasive methods. Here are the benefits of the WavelinQ™ 4F:

• Minimally invasive creation of AVFs
• Provides an alternative to open surgery
• Enables additional venous access points (ulnar vein and radial vein)
• Increases procedural flexibility for our physicians
• Reduces risk of scarring or arm disfigurement for patients
• Increases the likelihood patients will get a usable AV fistula