BackTable Vascular & Interventional

Patients and IRs alike dread the persistent cycles of malfunction and repeated procedures that often accompany biliary drains. What can you do to keep patients off the doorstep of reintervention? In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, Dr. Ahsun Riaz of Northwestern Medicine joins host Dr. Michael Barraza to walk through strategies for preventing and managing complications of percutaneous biliary drain placement.

---

Get the BackTable app

https://www.backtable.com/app

---

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction01:51 - Complication Rates and Associated Factors06:09 - PTC in Non-Dilated Biliary Systems11:00 - Techniques for Access and Drain Placement15:10 - Drain Flushing, Capping, and Ideal Positioning17:48 - External versus Internal-External Biliary Drains20:42 - Managing Pericatheter Leakage23:01 - Life Expectancy and Stenting Malignant Strictures26:32 - Tract Maturation and Minimizing Access Sites28:56 - Addressing Unresolving Hyperbilirubinemia34:52 - Managing Bloody Drain Output38:12 - Approach to Dislodged Drains39:40 - Drain-Associated Pain and Exchange Timing42:49 - Strategy for Benign Biliary Strictures45:18 - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

---

More about this episode

The discussion begins with a look at the data on biliary drain-related adverse events, emphasizing the need to bring down the high rates of complications that may take a toll on patients' quality of life. Dr. Riaz stresses the importance of employing techniques at initial drain placement, such as placing left-sided drains where appropriate and minimizing biliary pressure buildup, to reduce the starting risk of malfunction. The physicians go on to share their algorithms for approaching various scenarios, from pericatheter leakage and drain dislodgement to unresolving hyperbilirubinemia, pointing out the factors and observations that should influence treatment approaches during planning and intraprocedurally. Finally, the physicians address the evolving landscape of long-term biliary management, assessing potential drainage strategies as survival rates improve in hepatobiliary malignancies, and underscore the critical importance of collaboration with gastroenterologists and surgeons to ensure cohesive, goals-of-care-centered management.

---

Resources

Adverse Events After Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage: A 10-Year Retrospective Analysishttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2024.12.022

Radial roots, peripheral reach! Radial to peripheral (R2P) access is the focus of this week’s episode with interventional cardiologist Dr. Shailendra Singh (Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute) and dual hosts Hady Lichaa and Sameh Sayfo. The conversation focuses on key techniques, pre-procedure planning and imaging, and ideal case selection for those new to the R2P approach.

---

Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app

---

This podcast is supported by

Terumo

https://www.terumois.com/

---

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction04:42 - Radial-to-Peripheral: Right vs Left Radial10:18 - Ultrasound and Pedal Access Applications17:10 - Ideal Cases When Starting Radial to Peripheral25:59 - Impactful Radial Success Stories29:38 - Managing Radial Spasm 35:22 - Left Radial Workflow42:00 - Shelf Setup Essentials48:43 - Renal Mesenteric Access55:37 - Safe Sheath Removal01:01:10 - Training and Courses01:04:48 - Closing Thoughts

---

More about this episode

Dr. Singh shares how he began incorporating radial-to-peripheral procedures into his practice after fellowship and how his experience with radial coronary access translated naturally to peripheral interventions. The group reviews access strategy, including right versus left radial selection, along with techniques for preventing and managing radial spasm. They also touch on staff workflow and training when introducing R2P into the lab. The episode closes with practical insights on case selection for operators new to the approach, the role of pedal access in selected CTO cases, and strategies for safe sheath removal and hemostasis.

---

Resources

Dr. Shailendra Singh’s Provider Profile https://www.lvhn.org/doctors/shailendra-singh

Dr. Sameh Sayfo’s Provider Profilehttps://www.bswhealth.com/physician/sameh-sayf

Dr. Hady Lichaa’s Provider Profilehttps://healthcare.ascension.org/find-care/provider/1336267533/hady-lichaa

With the single-stick technique proving to be an effective addition to the venous line placement toolkit, what is stopping IRs from venturing beyond the traditional dual-incision approach? In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, pediatric interventional radiologist Dr. Kevin Wong of USA Health joins host Dr. Ally Baheti to review the single-stick technique for central venous access, a method widely utilized in pediatric practice.

---

Get the BackTable app

https://www.backtable.com/app

---

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction01:35 - Origins of Single-Stick Access03:10 - Setup and Bending the Needle07:17 - Tunneling to the IJ10:06 - Line Positioning and Measurement14:45 - Wire Handling Considerations18:55 - Clinical Advantages of Single-Stick Access21:27 - Femoral Single-Stick Tips23:41 - Common Mistakes and Pitfalls27:39 - Needle-Free Lidocaine Administration30:48 - Closing Remarks

---

More about this episode

Delving into the origins, technical nuances, and clinical advantages, the physicians explore how the single-stick technique can reduce the risk of infection and minimize interference with other lines and tubing to improve patient care. The discussion provides a detailed technical breakdown of the procedure, offering a masterclass on navigating the curves up the neck as well as the equipment selection and sizing necessary to facilitate the process. With the aid of visual slides and demonstrations, Dr. Wong steps us through the specifics of bending the access needle, maneuvering tools to adapt to anatomical configurations, and handling ultrasound movement to confirm and maintain a safe trajectory throughout the procedure. The conversation emphasizes the tactile “feel” and attention to forces acting on the wire that are required to appropriately position the catheter.Recognizing the logistical constraints that make it challenging for attendings to regularly adopt alternative procedural techniques, this episode serves as an accessible primer for clinicians looking to broaden their options for venous access with this effective, patient-centric technique.

The advent of newer thrombectomy devices has turned what were once hours-long surgical cutdowns into endovascular cases that last under an hour. In this episode of BackTable, host Dr. Sabeen Dhand is joined by Dr. Shang Loh from the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Khanjan Nagarsheth from the University of Maryland to discuss the evolution of arterial thrombectomy devices and modern techniques for acute arterial occlusions.

---

This podcast is supported by:

Inari Medicalhttps://www.inarimedical.com/artix-system

---

SYNPOSIS

The episode highlights major technological advancements over the past decade, including the development of mechanical and computer-assisted thrombectomy systems. The physicians review key features of newer devices, such as the ability to combine aspiration with stent retrievers, the use of PTFE baskets to reduce distal embolization, and the advantage of maintaining wire access throughout the case.

They share strategies for managing specific cases, including acute femoral-popliteal occlusions with distal reconstitution, intraoperative ischemic pain due to flow arrest, trauma-related thrombosis, and cases complicated by extensive calcification and chronic vascular disease. As vascular surgeons, they also discuss the ongoing role of open approaches, outlining when surgical cutdown is indicated and where they prefer endovascular first. The conversation further explores challenges such as acute limb ischemia, stent thrombosis, and visceral artery thrombosis, emphasizing the importance of staying current with rapidly evolving technologies to improve procedural efficiency and patient outcomes.

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction02:04 - Evolution of Arterial Thrombosis Treatment04:11 - New Devices and Techniques10:42 - Case Studies and Practical Applications24:26 - Techniques and Devices for Thrombectomy25:33 - Managing Flow and Patient Safety27:25 - Surgical vs. Endovascular Approaches29:25 - Dealing with Complications and Failures37:50 - Visceral Thrombosis and Advanced Techniques41:09 - Future of Thrombectomy Devices44:27 - Closing Remarks

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) represents the most advanced stage of peripheral artery disease. While many patients can be treated with endovascular or surgical revascularization, a subset of individuals remain ‘no-option’ candidates when conventional therapies fail or distal targets are absent. In this episode of BackTable, host Dr. Ally Baheti speaks with Dr. Mary Costantino, interventional radiologist at Advanced Vascular Centers, and Jill Sommerset, vascular technologist and Director of Clinical Education and Training at Aveera Medical, about the emerging role of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as a potential therapy for patients with no-option CLTI.

---

SYNPOSIS

This episode explores where spinal cord stimulation may fit within the treatment landscape for advanced CLTI, particularly for patients who are not candidates for revascularization or deep venous arterialization (DVA). Dr. Costantino describes how interest in the therapy developed through multidisciplinary collaboration and early physiologic observations using pedal acceleration time (PAT) measured with duplex ultrasound alongside angiography. A representative case highlights immediate, setting-dependent improvements in PAT following stimulation, and the group reviews early trends from a small patient cohort suggesting improved distal perfusion in individuals with severe infrapopliteal disease. The conversation also addresses practical barriers to adoption, including site-of-service and reimbursement challenges and the difficulty of implanting permanent stimulators in patients with active wounds. Jill Sommerset adds perspective from the vascular lab, discussing ultrasound-based methods to quantify physiologic changes after DVA and how similar perfusion metrics may help evaluate spinal cord stimulation. The episode concludes with a discussion of the potential role of neuromodulation in this population and the need for larger datasets to better define its clinical impact.

---

TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction02:02 - Why CLTI Needs Options06:25 - First No Option Case11:06 - Trial Turns Flow On14:38 - Timing and Reimbursement19:59 - Early Results and Adoption22:45 - How Spinal Cord Stimulation Might Improve Flow26:46 - Patient Selection and Access30:24 - Treatment Algorithm and Timing32:37 - Quality of Life and Mobility37:57 - Implant Delays and Coordination39:41 - Data

---

RESOURCES

Paper on Maturation after DVAhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1078588426000523