Renan Uflacker

Renan Uflacker (born 1949) is an American physician. Currently he is Professor and Director of Interventional Radiology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), in Charleston, South Carolina.

Education and career

Since 1977, Uflacker has practiced vascular and interventional radiology, becoming professor and director of the division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at MUSC in 1993. He attended medical school in his hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil, earning his MD in 1974. After residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in cardiovascular radiology, he settled in his hometown practicing vascular radiology at a private hospital and at the Hospital of the Catholic University, where he did extensive work in peripheral vascular diseases and gastrointestinal diseases. At that time he pursued a master’s degree in gastroenterology with the presentation of an original thesis. In the course of his career he has performed extensive work in peripheral diseases in balloon angioplasty, treatment of vascular blockages which included pioneer work with the publication of the first superior mesenteric angioplasty [Uflacker R, Godany MA, Constant S. Resolution of mesenteric angina with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of a superior mesenteric artery stenosis using a balloon catheter. Gastrointest Radiol. 1980 Nov 15;5(4):367-9.] and the first portal vein angioplasty. [Uflacker R, Alves MS, Cantisani GG, Souza HP, Wagner J, Moraes LF. Treatment of portal vein obstruction by percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty. Gastroenterology. 1985 Jan;88(1 Pt 1):176-80.] He also became interested in gastrointestinal and liver diseases and portal hypertension, with work in gastrointestinal bleeding treatment by means of transcatheter embolization, [Uflacker R. Transcatheter embolization for treatment of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Acta Radiol. 1987 Jul-Aug;28(4):425-30.] and liver cancer treatment. After his arrival at MUSC, he performed pivotal new work in the United States in the area of mechanical thrombectomy, [Uflacker R, Rajagopalan PR, Vujic I, Stutley JE. Treatment of thrombosed dialysis access grafts: randomized trial of surgical thrombectomy versus mechanical thrombectomy with the Amplatz device. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 1996 Mar-Apr;7(2):185-92.] [Uflacker R, Strange C, Vujic I. Massive pulmonary embolism: preliminary results of treatment with the Amplatz thrombectomy device. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 1996 Jul-Aug;7(4):519-28.] [Uflacker R. Mechanical thrombectomy in acute nd subacute thrombosis with use of the Amplatz device: arterial and venous applications. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 1997 Nov-Dec;8(6):923-32.] and in 1995/1996 he initiated, in South Carolina and in the United States, the use of stent-grafts for the repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms. [Uflacker R, Robison JG, Brothers TE, Pereira AH, Sanvitto PC. Abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment: preliminary results with the Talent stent-graft system. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 1998 Jan-Feb;9(1 Pt 1):51-60.] More recently he was part of a national trial for new covered biliary stents for biliary malignancies which resulted in the approval of the first covered stent for biliary application in United States. [Schoder M, Rossi P, Uflacker R, Bezzi M, Stadler A, Funovics MA, Cejna M, Lammer J. Malignant biliary obstruction: treatment with ePTFE-FEP-covered endoprostheses initial technical and clinical experiences in a multicenter trial. Radiology. 2002 Oct;225(1):35-42.]

Uflacker is currently developing a technique for filling aneurysm sacs with a polymer, [Uflacker R, Brothers T. Filling of the aneurysmal sac with DEAC-glucosamine in an animal model of abdominal aortic aneurysm following stent-graft repair. J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2006 Aug; 47(4): 425-36.] working on a new dialysis graft with self-sealing ports, [R. Uflacker, P. Rajagopalan. Dialysis Graft with Self-Sealing Ports: A Feasibility Study in an Animal Model, presented at 2006 SIR (Society of Interventional Radiology), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. March 30 – April 4, 2006. 2006 SIR (Society of Interventional Radiology), Program and Abstract Book, page S71.] and participating in a long-term project related to the creation and growth of new vessels in limbs with lack of blood flow, a process known as angiogenesis. [M.S. Guimaraes, R. Uflacker, L. Gordon, L. Obeid, R. Harley. Intra-muscular use of the sphingosine-1-phosphate for angiogenesis in rabbit ischemic hind limb: A pilot study. Presented at the Annual Meeting and Postgraduate Course of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE). Nice, France, September 10-14, 2005. Abstract # 22.5.8, published in the CIRSE 2005 Main Programme and Abstract Book.]

Professional affiliations

Uflacker is a long-standing member of several specialty societies, which include the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and a fellow of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE). He has been an invited lecturer and/or presenter at meetings and conferences nationally and internationally. His areas of interest are liver diseases and portal hypertension, as well as peripheral vascular diseases, such as the treatment of peripheral arterial and venous blockages, treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms with stent-grafts, and carotid artery disease stenting. [http://radinfo.musc.edu/Interventional/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=2&MMN_position=34:34]

Uflacker has also authored and co-authored more than one hundred peer reviewed articles in medical journals and about 50 book chapters.

Notes

References

* [http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2006/co3-17innovative.html Innovative treatments for liver cancer available] "Catalyst", MUSC, Charleston, SC, March 17, 2006.

*Auer, Holly. [http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/423900/radiation_treatment_1st_in_sc/index.html?source=r_health Radiation Treatment 1st in S.C.] "Red Orbit" online journal, reprint of article from "The Post and Courier", Charleston, SC, March 10, 2006.

* [http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2001/co3-9stent.htm Stent repair of abdominal aneurysm successful] . "Catalyst", MUSC, Charleston, SC, March 9, 2001.

* [http://www.musc.edu/pr/aneurysms.htm Minimally Invasive Repair of Abdominal Aneurysms Gaining Momentum as First-line Treatment] . Medical University of South Carolina News Release. Charleston, SC, March 5, 2001.

External links

* [http://clinicaldepartments.musc.edu/radiology/interventional/faculty/uflacker.htm Basic information on Dr. Renan Uflacker and link to his curriculum vitae]

* [http://www.musc.edu/interventionalradiology Division of Interventional Radiology at the Medical University of South Carolina]