A thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a serious health condition that affects 15,000 Americans each year. These aneurysms occur in the upper portion of the body’s largest artery, the aorta, above the diaphragm. Aneurysms form when flowing blood pushes on a weakened spot in the aortic wall and...
Prostate cryosurgery (also known as cryoablation, cryotherapy, or cryo) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses controlled freezing to destroy cancerous cells in the prostate gland, according to the American Urological Association (AUA). Cryotherapy was initially developed to treat tumors...
Cystoscopy is a common urological procedure that is usually performed in the office setting as a diagnostic test to inspect the interior of the bladder and urethra with a lighted, flexible endoscope, called a cystoscope, according to the American Urological Association Foundation. The cystoscope...
Peripheral and visceral arteriography, also referred to as angiography, is an imaging guided procedure used to visualize non-coronary arteries, such as those found in the hands, feet, legs, arms, and organs. The physician performs the procedure by making a small incision in an artery and...
Mohs micrographic surgery is an effective and advanced treatment for skin cancer that involves surgically removing the cancer while using a microscope to ensure only healthy tissue is left behind, according to the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS).
Pulmonary artery catheterization (PAC), also known as the Swan-Ganz or right heart catheterization, is a procedure commonly used to measure pressures in the heart and large blood vessels, according to the American Thoracic Society. During the procedure, a balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheter...
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver cancer is a procedure that uses heat to destroy cancer cells. Physicians use imaging techniques such as ultrasound, CT, or MRI to place a needle electrode into cancerous tissue in the liver. An electrical current from a radiofrequency generator then passes...
Laparoscopic nephrectomy is a minimally invasive approach to the traditional open radical nephrectomy, which removes the entire kidney and any kidney cancer. Rather than making one large incision, surgeons make three or four incisions roughly 1 centimeter long in the abdomen. A small camera is...
Percutaneous transluminal peripheral angioplasty (PTPA) is a revascularization procedure that is used to treat narrowing of the arteries caused by peripheral arterial disease or other conditions. A physician performing PTPA makes a small nick in the skin and inserts a balloon catheter or other...
Diagnostic angiography, which is also referred to as diagnostic arteriology, is an imaging-guided procedure designed to detect cardiovascular disease. A physician performs the procedure by making a small incision in an artery and threading a catheter through the blood vessels, according to the...
