INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY AND HEMOSTASIS

An increasing number of patients receive antithrombotic therapy, both acute and chronic, with substances such as heparin, warfarin, salicyla tes and streptokinase. The development of minimally invasive therapy ( MIT) has depended on two major factors: the ability to view internal o rgans without exposure, and the development of a variety of instrument s and techniques for removing tumours and organs, dealing with obstruc tions and securing haemostasis. There is virtually no blood vessel, du ct or conduit which has not been stented. Vascular interventional radi ology including angioplasty, endoscopic diagnosis and surgery, digital subtraction angiography, ultrasound magnetic resonance imaging and di gital storage of images are all examples of the new technologies. The absence of conventional surgical access and haemostasis, together with the increasing use of thrombolytic therapy, means that all practition ers require a working knowledge of the coagulation system. Clearly, sp ecialist haematologists ultimately either provide therapy or informati on to guide others. This short review presents the minimal information necessary for non-specialists to be able to communicate effectively w ith their haematological colleagues.