Blood clots slow the flow of oxygen to certain areas of the body, sometimes causing pain or organ damage. When a clot forms in a leg, it’s called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If that clot travels to your lungs, it’s called a pulmonary embolism (PE). Both are serious health conditions.
To treat DVT or PE, interventional radiologists can perform a thrombectomy procedure. They use tiny tools made specially for removing blood clots from veins. That means you may not need:
- Clot-busting medicine that increases the risk of bleeding
- Intensive care for your condition
If you have osteoporosis (weak bones), you face a higher risk of compression fractures (breaks) in your spine. To relieve back pain, an interventional radiologist may perform kyphoplasty. The doctor will:
- Use real-time X-ray images to find the fractures
- Inflate a tiny balloon in the fractured bone to create a space
- Inject bone cement into the space to stabilize your spine
After you recover, you’ll likely be able to move around more easily and enjoy a better quality of life.
