Adverse effects of anesthesia in interventional radiology

The aim of the study was to evaluate adverse events related to the use of anesthesia and anesthetic procedures associated with interventional radiology.

We retrospectively evaluated 124 interventional radiological procedures performed with anesthesia within a one-year period. Patients were separated into four groups according to the duration of procedure, the type of procedure performed, anesthetic agents used, and complications associated with anesthesia.

Of the 124 patients, 59 had neurovascular procedures, 10 underwent implantation of a tracheal stent, and 19 had painful procedures. Fifteen of 36 pediatric patients had diagnostic angiography, and 21 had interventional procedures. Two patients in the neurovascular intervention group had cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions, and anaphylactic reaction developed in one patient, who underwent percutaneous hepatic hydatic cyst drainage.

Interventional radiological procedures seem to be safe from an anesthesiologist's point of view. However, morbidity and mortality in this patient population can be reduced when the potential complications associated with interventional radiology are well understood by the anesthesia team.