Interventional cardiovascular techniques in small animal practice - diagnostic angiography and balloon valvuloplasty

Abstract

Interventional radiology can be defined as the use of imaging modalities to guide percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In human medicine, interventional radiology is also called “21st century medicine” because it has been leading a trend in the use of minimally invasive treatments in medical practice. Interventional radiology also has appeal in veterinary medicine, and numerous interventional radiology techniques have been transferred to veterinary practice from human medicine, including interventional ultrasonography (eg, biopsy, fine-needle aspiration, and percutaneous drainage), 1 cardiovascular interventional techniques, and nonvascular interventional techniques. 2-4 Recent clinical reports of the use of cardiovascular interventional techniques in small animal practice are encouraging and suggest that these techniques are promising. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of 2 interventional radiology techniques—diagnostic angiography and balloon valvuloplasty—in veterinary medicine, focussing on aspects that have recently been updated and that appear to have the greatest potential for use in veterinary practice. Some relevant clinical issues in human medicine are also discussed