Our findings do not support the contention that in patients with placenta accreta/percreta, prophylactic temporary balloon occlusion and embolization prior to hysterectomy diminishes intraoperative blood loss.

Peripheral ports for long-term central venous access placed by interventional radiologists in the interventional radiology suite are as safe and as effective as chest ports.

In the absence of complete small-bowel obstruction, percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy provides safe and effective decompression of the excluded gastric remnant after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Gastrostomy tube placement after the early postoperative period is temporizing, with surgical intervention eventually required.

Distal embolization occurred in 14 of 339 (4%) attempted percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) procedures, including five of 225 stenoses (2.2%) and nine of the 81 occlusions (11%) that were crossed successfully in 114 attempts (8%). Transcatheter embolectomy by aspiration through a nontapered large-bore catheter was technically successful in five of six attempts (83%), and was combined with successful PTA in three of five patients. In two patients in whom the clinical result of PTA was considered unsatisfactory, successful transcatheter embolectomy permitted an uncomplicated surgical by-pass procedure to be performed. If clinically significant embolization occurs during PTA, this procedure can be attempted prior to surgical embolectomy as an alternative to local fibrinolytic therapy.

For lack of other suitable access, 10 consecutive patients received paired hemodialysis catheters for long-term hemodialysis using a translumbar approach to the inferior vena cava (IVC). All attempts were successful. Five paired catheters were placed using the single-puncture technique, and five using the dual-puncture technique. Catheters were in place for a total of 2252 catheter days. The average duration of catheter placement was 250 days (range 30-580 days). All catheters were functioning up to the time the study was completed or the patient died. The most common complication was partial dislodgment of the catheter in 3 of 23 catheters (13%), all occurring in obese patients. One episode of retroperitoneal hemorrhage was noted in a patient having the single-access technique. There were no episodes of infection or IVC thrombosis.