Wednesday, November 26th, a crucial interview aired on Rai 2, within the program Medicina 33, featuring Prof. Mauro Gargiulo (Director of the Vascular Surgery Unit at Policlinico Sant’Orsola, Bologna). The segment shed light on an important frontier in vascular surgery: the use of Carbon Dioxide in angiography.
For those who missed the in-depth segment or wish to review the highlights, we have summarized here why this technique is establishing itself as the safety standard for the most fragile patients.
Prof. Gargiulo clearly illustrated the clinical benefits that the use of CO2 brings to diagnostics and endovascular interventions. The heart of the debate concerns the elimination of risks associated with traditional iodinated contrast media.
The only problem is iodine. Iodine is excreted through the kidneys. In some patients, there is an allergic reaction to iodinated contrast media. [...] Some patients also present risk factors for impaired renal function. These are elderly individuals—people we currently treat for aortic pathology and peripheral obstructive arterial disease, for example—but also patients with diabetes or pre-existing renal impairment, where the contrast medium can precipitate a decline, potentially leading to a loss of kidney function.
CO2 offers a definitive solution to the above-mentioned problems
We have been using CO2 for several years now. It does not cause allergic reactions and is eliminated through the lungs rather than the kidneys. Moreover, thanks to the protocols we have developed over the years, it allows us to obtain images very similar to those achieved with iodinated contrast media.
During the interview, it was highlighted that the use of CO2 Angiography does not limit the effectiveness of procedures. It allows for optimal visualization of blood vessels for the planning and execution of endovascular procedures, without compromising the standard of care for the patients.
It is especially in this group of patients (those treated for abdominal aortic aneurysms)—where a significant amount of iodinated contrast would be required to ensure proper function—that we perform treatments using CO2. We do this because we drastically reduce the volume of contrast medium, and at times, we even perform 'Zero Contrast' procedures. [...] This is not a crusade against contrast media, but rather a safeguard for our patients. [...] As a group, we have been using it since 2014 [...] technology has enabled us to use equipment that guarantees the specific volumes and pressures that are fundamental for achieving excellent results in its application.
For all those who were unable to tune in...
source: RaiPlay.it
We thank Prof. Mauro Gargiulo for his valuable contribution and for bringing such a vitally important topic to the attention of the general public.
The use of CO2 in angiography is not just an alternative, but the affirmation of a safer approach to care, aimed at protecting any patient.