MR-guided vascular interventions

In modern interventional procedures imaging plays a crucial role. This is especially true for vascular interventional procedures. With accurate determination of lesion position and size in the blood vessels as well as determination of related organ function, vascular interventions can be conducted quickly and accurately. X-ray fluoroscopy is the current standard for many procedures. Although the X-ray fluoroscopy technique is accurate for determining the position of interventional devices, the silhouette appearance of the organs and the invisibility of plaques limit many interventional procedures. New magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that combine interventional abilities with versatile imaging capabilities have been developed. Currently, because of these new techniques, selective catheterizations of the coronary arteries can be achieved rapidly. Interventional MRI offers the best alternative to X-ray fluoroscopy for vascular interventions with no risk of ionizing radiation for the patient and new imaging possibilities for the controlled delivery of future treatments.