Utilization of Intravascular Ultrasound in the Management of Venous Disease

As the field of Vascular and Interventional Radiology continues to grow, the variety of pathology treated, the approaches to treating various disease processes, and the vast options of equipment and devices continue to grow as well. Numerous venous disease processes have now become commonplace within the treatment realm of interventional radiologists and knowing how to approach each disease process is critical to successful management of these complex patients. A few of the most encountered venous disease processes include pelvic venous disorders, vena cava tumor involvement, venous thrombosis, and inferior vena cava filter placement; an understanding of the management of these processes is integral to the practice of today's interventional radiologists. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has become increasingly important both in the diagnosis and in guiding treatment for venous disease. This article will describe in detail the multiple ways that IVUS can be used in the treatment of complex venous disorders.