Embolotherapy - Requirements for Successful Embolization

A graduate from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Jeff Lovin, MD is a radiologist. Jeff Lovin, MD is experienced in various radiology therapies, including embolotherapy and varicose vein ablation.

A minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure, embolotherapy involves occluding or blocking abnormal vessels. The procedure has a wide variety of applications, including bleeding control, devascularize organs, and closing malformed vessels. It can also be used to reduce tumors by cutting blood supply away from the metastatic (tumor-causing) cells. In embolotherapy, each embolic agents have specific clinical applications that they are suitable for, and examples of these agents are coils, gel foams, balloons, and angiographic catheters. When the right embolic agent is used for a clinical application, the result of treatment can be enhanced significantly.

The use of a suitable embolic agent for treatment is crucial to the success of embolotherapy. The type of agent used should be dictated by the patient's condition, which may range from vascular disorder to infertility, or trauma. Depending on the clinical application, the embolic agent can be placed for either a temporary or permanent purpose. All these factors will be weighed carefully by the radiologist to make decisions which will rely on adequate and updated knowledge of the underlying pathology of the condition.

Thrombolytic Treatments for Addressing Acute Ischemic Strokes

Dr. Jeff Lovin practices medicine in Southern California, where he provides patient-centered musculoskeletal and neuro radiology care. Experienced in a wide range of diagnostic procedures, Dr. Jeff Lovin also practices interventional radiology, and is experienced in neurological therapy pathways such as cerebral thrombolysis.

Thrombolytic treatments are used to restore blood flow to the brain among some patients who have experienced acute ischemic strokes. They involve the use of drugs to target and break up the clots that are responsible for cerebral blood flow disruption.

Time is of the essence when applying thrombolytics, which typically need to be administered by arterial catheter or intravenously during the first 3 hours following the initial signs of a stroke.

One common “clot-buster” is alteplase (tPa, Activase), which works to break up clots and restore normal blood flow to the stroke area. Because of the time-sensitive nature of thrombolytics, it is essential that patients be aware of warning signs that may indicate a stroke. These include sudden numbness, trouble speaking, vision issues, dizziness, and a sense of confusion.

An Introduction to Kyphoplasty

Part of the musculoskeletal and neuroradiology fellowship at a private practice in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Jeff Lovin earned his MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine. In his current role, Dr. Jeff Lovin performs a variety of procedures relating to interventional and diagnostic radiology, including kyphoplasty.

Kyphoplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure done to alleviate pain and other issues resulting from a break or fracture of a vertebra in the spine. Often, it is performed alongside vertebroplasty, another minimally-invasive procedure that involves injecting a mixture into the broken vertebra to strengthen it. Kyphoplasty is done before vertebroplasty and is responsible for creating the space health care providers need to inject the cement mixture properly.

To perform kyphoplasty, doctors clean the area of the back where the damaged vertebra is and apply either local anesthesia to the site or administer general anesthesia. Once the area is numbed, a needle is placed into the spine bone and doctors use an x-ray to find the correct area of the back that needs cement.

After the affected area of the spine is found, a balloon is inserted into the bone via the needle. It’s then inflated to return the damaged vertebra to its normal height. This enables doctors to carefully inject the cement mixture into the spine without the vertebrae collapsing again and causing additional pain. This mixture dries very quickly and patients are usually capable of returning home the same day as their procedure.

Why is 40 a Good Year to Begin Annual Mammograms?

By National Cancer Institute - US National Institutes of Health - National Cancer Institutehttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/breast/Patient/page3
http://www.cancer.gov/images/cdr/live/CDR415525-750.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=601035

A practicing radiologist in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Jeff Lovin has made several conference presentations about diagnostic imaging and breast cancer. Dr. Jeff Lovin is a member of the Society of Breast Imaging, an organization that advocates for and promotes education and breast health to minimize the occurrence of breast cancer

Mammography makes early detection possible, allowing doctors to intervene with the less-invasive surgery that works in the early stages of cancer. Thanks to widespread mammography beginning in the early 1990s, the number of deaths from breast cancer dropped some 30 percent, the first change in 50 years. Although other screening methods, such as MRI, are also used, these measures locate only small cancers. (Mortality rates following these procedures, however, have not been researched.)

Studies have proven that 40 is the best age to begin annual mammograms since the number of diagnoses increases dramatically after that milestone. In fact, the incidence rate for 40- to 44-year-olds is twice as high as for the 35-39 range. In the United States, screening after 40 saves 4,500 more lives annually, as compared to screening starting at 50.

Although waiting for test results heightens anxiety, these feelings decrease over time. Even when tests come back with false positives, those women remain in favor of screening.