BackTable Vascular & Interventional

Dr. Aparna Baheti talks with Dr. Timothy Huber about performing thyroid nodule ablation procedures, including patient selection, technique pearls and pitfalls, and how to incorporate the procedure into your practice. --- EARN CME Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/QZ9TpA --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. Tim Huber and our host Dr. Ally Baheti discuss the process of thyroid nodule radiofrequency ablation, including patient selection, workup, procedural technique, and follow up. Dr. Huber describes the most common indication for ablation, which is the presence of benign thyroid nodules that cause compressive symptoms. These can affect quality of life when they restrict a patient’s ability to swallow, breathe, and speak. He recommends ablation for symptomatic nodules that are over 2 cm in diameter. Dr. Huber also mentions functional nodules as more challenging cases, but still treatable with ablation. Though ablation for thyroid malignancies is rare, it is a field of active and growing research. In his workup, Dr. Huber uses ultrasound to assess nodular composition, vasculature, size, and nearby enlarged lymph nodes. Next, he obtains two benign fine needle aspiration samples and checks TSH levels before proceeding with ablation. During the procedure, he anesthetizes the skin of the neck with lidocaine, and periodically checks in with patients about pain level. Dr. Huber describes his “trans-isthmic approach” that keeps the needle as stable as possible. He exercises caution when ablating near the “danger triangle” containing the recurrent laryngeal nerve which innervates the vocal cords. While ablating posterior to anterior, Dr. Huber tracks echogenic changes on ultrasound. After the procedure, patients are monitored for one hour and then followed up in one month, and then three months over the next year. Dr. Huber warns interventionalists that post-ablation zones may look disfigured on ultrasound, but this will revert back to normal within 3-6 months. --- RESOURCES European Thyroid Association Guidelines: https://www.eurothyroid.com/guidelines/eta_guidelines.html Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology Guidelines: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6005940/

28 Jan 202231min

Vascular Surgeon Dr. Mazin Foteh and our host Dr. Sabeen Dhand consider various factors that can influence the choice of treatment methods for calcified common femoral artery (CFA) disease, including discussing the pros and cons of an endovascular vs surgical approach. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR Shockwave Medical https://shockwavemedical.com/?utm_source=CFA-Backtable-Podcast&utm_campaign=Backtable-Podcast --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, vascular surgeon Dr. Mazin Foteh and our host Dr. Sabeen Dhand consider various factors that can influence the choice of treatment methods for common femoral artery (CFA) disease. To start, Dr. Foteh describes risk factors of common femoral disease, such as smoking, renal failure, and diabetes. He notes that CFA lesions are usually calcified and homogenous because they are composed of layers of calcium, lipid, and platelets deposited in fibrin sheaths. He further distinguishes between partially occluded and fully occluded CFA lesions. Dr. Foteh reviews key tips to minimize complications during an open endarterectomy. To maximize exposure, he recommends making a longitudinal incision rather than a medial groin incision. Before closing, he also ensures that he checks 3-4 cm proximal and distal to the CFA and stents the external iliac artery if needed. Dr. Foteh opts for general anesthesia over local anesthesia, in case of unforeseen complications. With an endovascular approach, Dr. Foteh finds that shock wave lithotripsy has been most effective at cracking calcium, changing vessel compliance, and ultimately increasing luminal gain. He uses this technique first, examines the results, and then uses a drug-coated balloon or stent as needed. --- RESOURCES Clinical Trial Investigating the Efficacy of the Supera Peripheral Stent System for the Treatment of the Common Femoral Artery: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02804113

24 Jan 202249min

Interventional Radiologist Dr. Jonathan Gross and host Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss the results from his recent JVIR Media article on the quantifiable environmental impact of operating an interventional radiology practice for one week. Guess how many road trips around the world it equates to!? --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR RADPAD® Radiation Protection https://www.radpad.com/ --- EARN CME Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/Wg2OuX --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. Jonathan Gross and our host Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss the results from Dr. Gross’s recent JVIR article on the quantifiable environmental impact of operating an IR practice for one week. Dr. Gross begins by describing his lifelong interest in environmental sustainability. He developed the idea for this study because he recognized the discordance between his conscientious practices at home and his less sustainable practices in the IR suite. Dr. Gross acclimates us to vocabulary that is used in the article and defines the measurements of “life cycle assessment” and “volume of greenhouse gases.” Many listeners will be surprised to find out that material waste makes up less than 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions in an IR suite. The majority of emissions is actually produced by air conditioning and air exchange systems, which frequently and unnecessarily run when IR suites are not being used. Finally, Dr. Gross shares ways to reduce the environmental impacts of IR, such as installing motion-sensor lights, using re-processed equipment instead of single-use equipment, and streamlining procedure packs. --- RESOURCES The Environmental Impact of Interventional Radiology: An Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from an Academic Interventional Radiology Practice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33794372/ Environmental Impacts of Abdominal Imaging: A Pilot Investigation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30158086/

21 Jan 202232min

Interventional Radiologist Donald Garbett and our host Sabeen Dhand discuss their standard workups and procedural decision making for GI bleeds, including radial vs. femoral approach and preferred embolics. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR Boston Scientific IOE https://www.bostonscientific.com/ioe --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. Donald Garbett and our host Dr. Sabeen Dhand discuss their standard workups and procedural decision making for GI bleeds. The doctors start by describing the workup. Dr. Garbett says that the majority of his cases are referred from GI, either when GI cannot find the bleed or cannot access the bleed because of excessive bleeding into the GI lumen. Dr. Garbett often uses triple phase CT angiography. He emphasizes the importance of doing triple phase, in order to distinguish between arterial bleeds and varices, as this difference will guide further treatment decisions. In non-emergency situations, Dr. Garbett prefers transradial access. He discusses his use of various embolic agents such as glue and combination of both detachable and pushable coils. Dr. Dhand mentions newer embolics such as Onyx. He adds that he sometimes administers a low dose of glucagon to inhibit bowel movements. Finally, the doctors share various pearls of wisdom for GI embolization, such as the advantages of provocative angiogram, treatment decisions when a patient is crashing, and variceal indications for balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). --- RESOURCES Ep. 118 BRTO vs. PARTO in Gastric Variceal Bleeding: https://www.backtable.com/shows/vi/podcasts/47/brto-vs-parto-in-gastric-variceal-bleeding YouTube Video: Embolization and Provocative Angiography in Lower GI Bleeds: https://youtu.be/0MESQkTG6hI

17 Jan 202241min

Interventional Neuroradiologist Dr. Hannes Nordmeyer and Biomedical Engineer Dr. Matt Gounis discuss compositions of tough clots, approaches to stroke thrombectomy, and bailout stenting. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR CERENOVUS https://www.jnjmedicaldevices.com/en-US/companies/cerenovus --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional neuroradiologist Dr. Hannes Nordmeyer, biomedical engineering professor Dr. Matt Gounis, and our host Dr. Michael Barraza discuss compositions of tough clots, approaches for stroke thrombectomy, and bailout stenting. Dr. Nordmeyer believes that interventionalists are still struggling to find the most effective method for pulling clots. He says that the use of double stent retrievers has shown high success rates, but it would be ideal to have one retriever that can work on its own. He describes his equipment setup for a standard large vessel occlusion. Dr. Nordmeyer notes clot location and behavior within the first two passes determines whether or not the operator should continue with the stent retrieval approach or change the approach. Dr. Gounis evaluates various devices by defining “success” as achievement of TICI 3 with the first pass. He comments on the current development of very large bore aspiration catheters, such as the 088 Millipede catheter and the Tenzing catheter. He also emphasizes that the success of the procedure relies largely on the composition of the embolus. Fibrin-rich clots are less likely to integrate with the stent retriever. We discuss Dr. Nordmeyer’s technique, which utilizes a microcatheter and the NIMBUS device to pin and retrieve the challenging clot. We also cover bailout stenting and the benefits of recanalization when clot removal is not possible. --- RESOURCES SWIFT DIRECT Trial: https://www.swift-direct.ch/the-swift-direct-trial/ Preclinical Evaluation of Millipede 088 Intracranial Aspiration Catheter: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32606100/ The Novel Tenzing 7 Delivery Catheter Designed to Deliver Intermediate Catheters to the Face of Embolus Without Crossing: https://jnis.bmj.com/content/13/8/722 Factors Influencing Recanalization After Mechanical Thrombectomy With First-Pass Effect for Acute Ischemic Stroke: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.628523/full NIMBUS Geometric Clot Extractor: https://www.jnjmedicaldevices.com/en-EMEA/news-events/cerenovus-launches-nimbustm-geometric-clot-extractor-remove-tough-clots

10 Jan 202235min

Emergency medicine physician and podcast founder Dr. Gita Pensa and our co-hosts Dr. Chris Beck and Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss methods of navigating malpractice lawsuits, maintaining professional identity, and prioritizing mental health. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR RADPAD® Radiation Protection https://www.radpad.com/ --- EARN CME Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/Mfo9EF --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, emergency medicine physician and podcast founder Dr. Gita Pensa and our co-hosts Dr. Chris Beck and Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss methods of navigating malpractice lawsuits, maintaining professional identity, and prioritizing mental health. Dr. Pensa starts by outlining her personal experience with a twelve year-long malpractice suit, which inspired her to start her own podcast, “Doctors and Litigation: The L Word.” She says that despite the fact that most physicians will face lawsuits in their career, there is a current lack of physician-centered educational resources over malpractice litigation. To combat this, she encourages physicians to share their experiences and learn from one another. The doctors walk through major steps of a lawsuit, starting with the process of getting served with papers. Dr. Pensa emphasizes that it is important to recognize that this step could be used as the first tactical move in a lawsuit and designed to make physicians feel uneasy. The next step after getting served should always be to call the insurance carrier and have them start the process of initiating a claim. Dr. Pensa strongly advises against accessing or editing patient charts after getting served, as these actions are recorded in the EMR and can be used against the physician. Finally, Dr. Pensa discusses the process of deposition and how it serves as both a fact-finding mission and a strategic way to distort a physician’s words. She recommends practicing with lawyers to answer deposition questions clearly and concisely. Throughout the episode, the doctors highlight the importance of maintaining one’s mental health during the litigation process. They advise listeners to seek support from friends, family, colleagues, and professionals, as long as the specific details of the case are not discussed. To close, Dr. Pensa reminds the audience that malpractice lawsuits usually have financial motivations, and they may not be an accurate representation of a physician’s competence or compassion for patients. --- RESOURCES Doctors and Litigation: The L Word: https://doctorsandlitigation.com/ “The Defendant” by Sarah Charles: https://www.amazon.com/Defendant-Sarah-Charles/dp/0394746635 “Adverse Events, Stress, and Litigation” by Sarah Charles: https://www.amazon.com/Adverse-Events-Stress-Litigation-Physicians/dp/0195171489 “How to Survive a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit” by Ilene Brenner: https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Medical-Malpractice-Lawsuit-ebook/dp/B005C65X2M “When Good Doctors Get Sued” by Angela Dodge and Steven Fitzer: https://www.amazon.com/When-Good-Doctors-Get-Sued/dp/0977751104

7 Jan 20221h 2min

Dr. Aaron Fritts talks with mentor Dr. David Ball about dealing with complications throughout our professional career, including why physicians have trouble with it, and advice for what not to do when they happen. --- EARN CME Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/al4Ow0 --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. David Ball and our host Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss the inevitability of unforeseen procedural complications, strategies to navigate patient and family communication, and lessons to take away from these experiences. To start, Dr. Ball recognizes the difficulty involved with addressing complications that cause patient injury, damage to physician reputation, and financial consequences. He emphasizes that it is therapeutic to speak about these outcomes with trainees and colleagues for learning purposes. Dr. Ball shares complications stories from his career and describes key takeaways from each. He describes the benefits of forming good relationships with patients and families prior to starting the case, performing a thorough check of all risk factors before the first puncture, and taking responsibility for complications that arise during the case. Finally, he discusses the balance between taking accountability for complications and being vulnerable to malpractice lawsuits. --- RESOURCES BackTable Episode 154, Complications Survey Results (Podcast): https://www.backtable.com/shows/vi/podcasts/154/discussing-the-complications-survey-results BackTable Episode 154 (Video): https://youtu.be/MuRISnu4gKU

3 Jan 202229min

CLI fighters Dr. Kumar Madassery and Dr. Sabeen Dhand discuss their approach to treating calcified arteries below the knee, including looking at newer technologies and choosing the appropriate device to effect real durable change to the calcified wall. --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR Shockwave Medical https://shockwavemedical.com/?utm_source=BTK-Backtable-Podcast&utm_campaign=Backtable-Podcast --- SHOW NOTES In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. Kumar Madassery and our host Dr. Sabeen Dhand discuss atherosclerosis in tibial vessels below the knee and devices for atherectomy, angioplasty, and dissection repair. While non-invasive imaging for calcium is still lacking, Dr. Madassery encourages operators to look for calcium on X-ray and ultrasound. He believes that visualization with ultrasound will improve if there is greater collaboration and standardization across all operators. Next, Dr. Madassery differentiates between intimal and medial calcifications. He notes that medial calcifications usually present as “railroad tracks” in diabetic and end-stage renal failure patients, while intimal calcifications lead to plaque ruptures. Each type is distinguishable with the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Dr. Madassery walks through his approach to calcified lesions. He says that using angiogram to identify whether a lesion is stenotic or occlusive is a crucial first step. He also emphasizes the importance of having a wire escalation strategy. The doctors highlight orbital and laser atherectomy, scoring balloons, and intravascular lithotripsy (IVL). Finally, Dr. Madassery describes his perspective on arterial dissection, a common complication of balloon angioplasty. The decision to treat dissections is dependent on the operator, but he gives advice on weighing the pros and cons of treating. He speaks about the advantages of using the self-expanding Tack system to stent only specific problematic regions.

27 Des 202138min