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UCLA Interventional Radiology

UCLA Interventional Radiology
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  • Conditions Treated
    • Ascites
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    • Vertebral Fracture
    • Ascites
    • Aneurysm and Dissection
    • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
    • Biliary Leak
    • Biliary Obstruction
    • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
    • Encephalopathy
    • Gastrointestinal Bleeding
    • Gastrointestinal Ischemia
    • Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
    • Liver Cancer
    • Liver Cancer (Metastatic)
    • Malnutrition
    • Obstruction
    • Osteoarthritis of the Knee
    • Peripheral Arterial Disease
    • Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
    • Portal Hypertension
    • Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)
    • Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
    • Uterine Fibroids
    • Variceal Bleeding
    • Varicocele
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    • Angiography
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    • Biliary Drainage
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    • Transjugular Liver Biopsy
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    • Varicocele Embolization
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    • Angiography
    • Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting
    • Arterial Thrombolysis
    • Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration
    • Biliary Drainage
    • Biopsy Percutaneous
    • Chemoembolization
    • Cyst Aspiration/Sclerosis
    • Dialysis Fistula/Graft Interventions
    • Drainage Percutaneous
    • Embolization
    • Gastrostomy and Gastrojejunostomy Tube Placement
    • Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
    • Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal
    • Lung Biopsy
    • Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE)
    • Pulmonary Angiography and Embolization
    • Radioembolization (Y90)
    • Stent Graft Placement
    • Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
    • Transjugular Liver Biopsy
    • Tumor Ablation
    • Uterine Fibroid Embolization
    • Varicocele Embolization
    • Vascular Access Procedures
    • Venous thrombolysis and recanalization
    • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
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UCLA Interventional Radiology

Treatments & Procedures

Treatments & Procedures

Treatments & Procedures

  • Angiography
  • Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting
  • Arterial Thrombolysis
  • Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration
  • Biliary Drainage
  • Biopsy Percutaneous
  • Chemoembolization
  • Cyst Aspiration/Sclerosis
  • Dialysis Fistula/Graft Interventions
  • Drainage Percutaneous
  • Embolization
  • Gastrostomy and Gastrojejunostomy Tube Placement
  • Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
  • Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal
  • Lung Biopsy
  • Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE)
  • Pulmonary Angiography and Embolization
  • Radioembolization (Y90)
  • Stent Graft Placement
  • Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
  • Transjugular Liver Biopsy
  • Tumor Ablation
  • Uterine Fibroid Embolization
  • Varicocele Embolization
  • Vascular Access Procedures
  • Venous thrombolysis and recanalization
  • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
  • Angiography
  • Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting
  • Arterial Thrombolysis
  • Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration
  • Biliary Drainage
  • Biopsy Percutaneous
  • Chemoembolization
  • Cyst Aspiration/Sclerosis
  • Dialysis Fistula/Graft Interventions
  • Drainage Percutaneous
  • Embolization
  • Gastrostomy and Gastrojejunostomy Tube Placement
  • Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
  • Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal
  • Lung Biopsy
  • Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE)
  • Pulmonary Angiography and Embolization
  • Radioembolization (Y90)
  • Stent Graft Placement
  • Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
  • Transjugular Liver Biopsy
  • Tumor Ablation
  • Uterine Fibroid Embolization
  • Varicocele Embolization
  • Vascular Access Procedures
  • Venous thrombolysis and recanalization
  • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
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  4. Transjugular Liver Biopsy

Transjugular Liver Biopsy

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Treatment for:

Diagnosis of liver disease

Why it’s done:

Characterization of liver disease often requires a liver biopsy. Liver biopsy can be performed by standard approach (by passing a needle directly through the body wall and into the liver) or by transjugular approach. The transjugular approach is favored in patients who have high bleeding risk because it does not require passing a needle through the liver capsule (the surface of the liver).

How it’s done:

An interventional radiologist uses ultrasound and X-rays to puncture the jugular vein and advance a small sheath into the vein draining the liver (hepatic vein). Through the sheath, a biopsy needle is passed through the vein wall and into the surrounding liver tissue to obtain samples. By using this technique, any bleeding that occurs from the biopsy will bleed into the hepatic vein, meaning no loss of blood by the patient.

Level of anesthesia:

Conscious sedation

Risks:

There is still some risk of bleeding, if the biopsy needle passes into an artery or beyond the liver capsule. Small risk of infection or damage to surrounding structures.

Post-procedure:

Two hours of bed rest.

Follow-up:

The results of the biopsy will be available to your referring physician in 1-3 days.

For More Information:

For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our IR physicians, please call 310-481-7545.

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