Interventional Radiology
Ovarian vein embolisation
What is ovarian vein embolisation?
Ovarian vein embolisation is a minimally invasive treatment for pelvic vein congestion that is used to close off faulty veins so they can no longer enlarge with blood, thus relieving the pain. Pelvic vein congestion is a painful condition resulting from the presence of varicose veins in the pelvis.
During this procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts a catheter up the femoral vein and into the faulty vein(s). Catheterisation requires only a small nick in the skin for insertion and x-ray image guidance of the catheter to its target area.
The catheter delivers filament-bearing coils that clot the blood and seal the faulty vein.