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Due to our large Vascular Anomalies Center, Children's has extensive experience in interventional radiology techniques to treat vascular anomalies, which translates into less need for open surgery in children. Endovascular techniques use catheters and other small devices that can be manipulated within vascular channels for delivery of drugs and other occlusive materials. Our interventional radiologists, anesthesiologists, radiology technologists and nurses are very familiar with these techniques and with care of patients undergoing these procedures.
One new endovascular technique used to treat some types of vascular malformations is endovenous laser ablation. This procedure enables our specially trained interventional radiologists to reduce the size of some vascular malformations and ease symptoms such as pain, swelling and disfigurement through a small incision. A diode laser fiber, introduced into the malformed veins through a catheter, creates energy that is absorbed by the blood within the abnormal blood vessels comprising the vascular malformation. This energy then generates steam bubbles within the blood. The steam bubbles transfer heat to the cells that line the walls of the blood vessel. This heat damages the abnormal blood vessel. Over several months following the procedure, the abnormal blood vessel eventually shrinks in size. Endovenous laser ablation is believed to result in a lower rate of formation of blood clots compared with other treatments currently in use for vascular malformations.
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