Digital Vascular Imaging

This is an imaging modality that utilises the technology of digital fluoroscopy and additional equipment and computer systems to image the blood vessels (arteries and veins) of the human body.

The images produced serve a diagnostic purpose; that is, diagnosing a pathology or condition. Also, treatment or therapeutic cases can be performed such as stenting (inserting a device into a blood vessel in order to keep it open and allow blood to flow through) or infusion of thrombolytic agents (administering a medication such as Urokinase to help breakdown a recently formed thromus or blood clot).


The procedures are performed under sterile conditions and require that the patient be fasted (no food prior to procedure) and the radiologist or cardiologist (the specialist medical practitioner who performs the invasive procedure and subsequently interprets the images) be "gowned" as in an operating theatre. Specialised DVI suites are used to image the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart itself.


This modality requires that the radiographer is part of a team approach working closely with other health professionals such as radiologists, cardiologists, nurses and cardiac technicians


ref.:   http://www.med.monash.edu.au/radiography