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Liver Disease

TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)

TIPS is a procedure Inova vascular and interventional radiologists use to non-surgically treat portal hypertension. Portal hypertension occurs when liver scarring or damage (cirrhosis) blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver. The physician inserts a catheter in the skin near the neck and guides it to the blocked blood vessels in the liver. The physician constructs a tunnel in the liver so the blood may flow normally using X-ray guidance. An inserted metal stent keeps the tunnel open. TIPS usually provides prompt relief of symptoms.

Biliary duct dilation and drainage

A byproduct for some patients with liver cancer or trauma to the liver are blocked bile ducts that cannot drain. Inova vascular and interventional radiologists can insert a catheter through a tiny incision directly into the bile ducts for draining. Sometimes a stent is inserted into the liver to keep the blocked area flowing.