Central Venous Access Catheters and Filters
Central Venous Access Catheters and Filters
Two of the most frequently performed minimally invasive IR procedures are insertion of central venous access catheters and placement of IVC filters.
A Central Venous Access Catheter (CVAC) is a tube that is inserted beneath your skin so there is a simple, pain-free way for doctors or nurses to draw your blood or give you medication or nutrients. When you have a CVAC, you are spared the irritation and discomfort of repeated needlesticks. There are several types of CVACs, including tunneled catheters (Hickman or Broviac), peripherally inserted central catheters (also called PICC lines or long lines), dialysis catheters, and implantable ports.
Doctors often recommend CVACs for patients who regularly have:
- Chemotherapy treatments
- Infusions of antibiotics or other medications
- Nutritional supplements
- Hemodialysis
A Vena Cava Filter, also referred to as IVC filter, is a small filtering device that is inserted into the large vein that drains the legs (the inferior vena cava). This procedure is done under imaging guidance. The filter functions like a catcher’s mitt to capture blood clots that may break off and travel through the blood stream.
Learn more about our interventional radiologists
Other Vascular Services / Conditions
- Diagnostic Vascular Imaging
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting (for carotid, renal, mesenteric and peripheral arteries)
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
- Uterine Fibroids / Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Varicose Veins
- Treatment of vertebral compression fractures resulting from osteoporosis or other disease
- Minimally invasive cancer therapy for liver, kidney, bone and lung tumors
- Central Venous Access Catheters and Filters
For more information on these as well as other interventional radiology procedures, please visit www.sirweb.org/patients/
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