Interventional Radiology Private Practice Patterns.

Private practice interventional radiology (IR) in the US takes many forms - from specialty coverage withing traditional diagnostic radiology (DR) models and hybrid IR/DR practices, to multispecialty groups and independent IR practitioners. The purpose of this article is to understand the value each of these current IR models offer and predict their future viability.

Advanced Practice Professionals and an Outpatient Clinic: Improving Longitudinal Care in an Interventional Radiology Practice.

The field of interventional radiology (IR) has made tremendous advances in both scope and practice since its inception in the early 1960s. With these advances, it has solidified itself as a valuable subspecialty to the medical community and, most importantly, to the patients who receive IR care. Expanding clinical services to improve care in both the pre- and postprocedural setting is a logical step in IR maturation. The use of advanced practice professionals, in the form of physician assistants and nurse practitioners, can add value in both quality of the patient experience and exposure to other subspecialties. Furthermore, a dedicated outpatient clinic provides a centralized site to evaluate patients and communicate with referring services. These additions can be a challenging value proposition, particularly when working in a combined diagnostic radiology and IR practice, but given the benefits, these are well worth the time and monetary investments.

Is there a role for Ytrrium-90 in the treatment of unresectable and metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with Ytrrium-90 (Y-90) has been used to treat hepatic malignancies with success. This study focuses on the efficacy and safety of Y-90 in the treatment of unresectable and metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). METHODS: A single-institution retrospective case review was performed for patients with unresectable and metastatic ICC treated with Y-90 between 2006 and 2016. RESULTS: Seventeen patients with ICC underwent 21 Y-90 treatments. Four patients had undergone prior liver resection, and six patients had extrahepatic disease at the time of treatment. Five year overall survival was 26.8%, with a median survival of 33.6 months. One patient underwent margin negative liver resection after a single treatment. Complications were appreciated in two cases. Ninety-day mortality was 0%. CONCLUSION: Treatment of ICC using Y-90 is a safe and promising procedure. Further research is needed to clarify its role in the treatment of unresectable and metastatic ICC.

Liver Resection After Selective Internal Radiation Therapy with Yttrium-90 is Safe and Feasible: A Bi-institutional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with yttrium-90 (Y90) microspheres has emerged as a viable liver-directed therapy for patients with unresectable tumors and those outside transplantation criteria. A select number of patients demonstrate a favorable response and become candidates for surgical resection. METHODS: Patients who underwent selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with Y90 microspheres at two institutions were reviewed. Patients who underwent liver resection were included in the study. The data gathered included demographics, tumor characteristics, response to Y90, surgical details, perioperative outcomes, and survival. RESULTS: The inclusion criteria were met by 12 patients. The diagnoses included metastatic disease from colorectal adenocarcinoma (n = 6), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 1), and ocular melanoma (n = 1) in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 4). The median time from liver disease diagnosis to Y90 treatment was 5.5 months (range 2-92 months). The median time from Y90 treatment to surgery was 9.5 months (range 3-20 months). The surgical approach included right hepatectomy (n = 3), extended right hepatectomy (n = 5), extended left hepatectomy (n = 1), segmentectomy with ablation (n = 2), and segmentectomy with isolated liver perfusion (n = 1). The hospital stay was 7 days (range 4-31 days), and 67% of the patients were discharged home. The readmission rate was 42%. The 90-day morbidity and mortality rates were respectively 42 and 8%. At this writing, the median overall survival has not been reached at 25 months. CONCLUSION: Liver resection after Y90 SIRT is a challenging surgical procedure with high rates of perioperative morbidity and hospital readmission. However, for properly selected patients, potential exists for extending disease-free and overall survival in the current era of multimodal therapy for malignant liver disease.

The Chait Trapdoor cecostomy catheter: an alternative access device to pigtail catheters for chronic cholecystostomy drains.

Acute cholecystitis is a well known complication in the critically ill patient population. These patients are often at high risk for morbidity and mortality associated with cholecystectomy. Percutaneous cholecystostomy has been shown to be an effective procedure in the treatment of acute cholecystitis in this patient population. Some patients require prolonged catheter drainage before definitive therapy. In four patients with patent cystic ducts, standard drainage catheters were exchanged for 10.2-F Chait pediatric cecostomy catheters. The low profile of the catheter and the "Trapdoor" feature allow maintenance and increased patient satisfaction while maintaining drainage and access.

Management of intraabdominal hypertension by percutaneous catheter drainage.

The authors report a case of an 18-year-old man with T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia who developed hemorrhagic pancreatitis after chemotherapy. He subsequently developed abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Computed tomography showed a large fluid-filled mass in the area of the pancreas. As a result of the instability of his condition, surgical decompression, the standard therapy for ACS, was believed to carry significant morbidity and potential mortality. The patient underwent ultrasound-guided drainage of the peripancreatic fluid, which decreased his abdominal pressures and improved his clinical status. Without this procedure, the patient may not have tolerated subsequent surgery.