Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Endovascular Embolization

Definition

Endovascular embolization is a procedure that utilizes chemical agents or metallic coils to stop bleeding and treat aneurysms or brain tumors.

Purpose

The purpose is either to cut off blood supply or to fill a sac (also creating a thrombus). Endovascular embolization is a procedure used to treat hemorrhage, cranial tumors, or aneurysms. The procedure can be life saving. Bleeding can be stopped in cases of trauma, epistaxis (nosebleed), coughing up blood from the lungs (hemoptysis), gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhage to solid organs, and postcesarean, postoperative, or postpartum bleeding in the abdomen or pelvis. Additionally, endovascular embolization is used to cut off the blood supply to cranial tumors which eventually causes tumor cell destruction and tumor mass shrinkage from lack of oxygen and nourishment. The...