Microcapsules and Microspheres for Embolization and Chemoembolization

Embolization is a therapeutic method designed to obliterate the vessels supplying a given pathological area by the endovascular pathway. It is a relatively old technique. It was proposed by Brooks in 1930, but only spread in France much later, on the initiative of Djindjian et al. Embolization is sometimes conducted under general anesthesia with intubation. As a rule, anesthesia with a patient awake or premedication with local anesthesia is preferably employed. The latter is routinely practiced in hepatic embolizations, in which the metabolism of the anesthetics administered slows down. Embolization is always preceded by a complete angiographic assessment which serves to prepare a vascular chart of the area to be embolized. Once the catheter is inserted in the vessel to be embolized, the emboli are injected manually under slight pressure and in small volume groups. Each emboli injection is monitored by televised radioscopy by injecting a contrast material.