Interventional radiology in urology

Full text: Ever since starting X-rays use in medical practice, the first interventional methods used in urological practice have been applied. In modern times, based on the use of different sources for image acquisition, the interventional procedures are generally conducted under three types of image control: X-ray, including the CT, non-X-ray, including ultrasound and MRI, and mixed. On the other hand, based on the access used for carrying out the interventional procedure on the urinary tract, the procedures are divided into the following types: the percutaneous, intravascular and intraluminal. Percutaneous manipulations, the most widely used ones, include puncture and drainage of renal cysts and collections in the kidney area, drainage studies of the upper urinary tract, bladder percutaneous drainage and percutaneous nephrostomy are now routinely used. In modern times, more practical interest is percutaneous renal lithotripsy, especially in combination with extracorporeal lithotripsy and percutaneous ablation of renal tumors. Intravascular manipulation, especially after the massive use of CT angiography, are limited to therapeutic use, as in this respect the mainly use is in transluminal angioplasty and renal artery stenting, and embolization. The modern devices entering into the urological practice, allow a high degree of overlap and less invasive therapeutic methods, such as uretero renoscopy, that gradually become major therapeutic approaches to many of the most common urological diseases. It should be noted the role of retrograde ureteric pyelography and ureteral endoprosthesis in the development of these methods. Key elements to achieve maximum efficiency, as diagnostic as therapeutic, from the application of interventional procedures, especially widely used in urological practice than technical mastery of the methodology, is the use of the most appropriate methods or a combination of an exact display and good collaboration with the urologist as in determining the indications and contraindications for the application of the methodology as in its technical realization