Offering New Treatment Options

If we can help our patients avoid surgery and hospitalization, that's exactly what we want to do. Technological advances have allowed many medical conditions that previously required surgery to be treated in less invasive, less stressful, and less expensive ways. That's what our interventional radiology program may be able to do for you.

What is interventional radiology?
Using various kinds of imaging techniques such as CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound to guide them, specially trained physicians insert thin tubes and minute instruments through the blood vessels and other pathways of the body. They use these instruments to diagnose and treat many medical conditions that previously may have required major surgery and hospitalization.

What kind of doctor is an interventional radiologist?
Interventional radiologists are specially trained physicians who have completed four years of study in radiology, passed a board certifying radiology exam, and completed extensive specialized training, known as fellowship training, in these procedures.

What are the benefits of interventional radiology?
These procedures are usually performed on an outpatient basis, avoiding the need for a costly hospital stay, or resulting in a significantly reduced hospital stay.

• Candidates for these procedures may avoid surgery altogether.
• Patients usually undergo local anesthesia with intravenous sedation instead of general anesthesia.
• Cardiac, respiratory and other complications are less likely.
• Patients lose less blood since a large surgical incision is not necessary.
• Recovery times are reduced when major surgery is avoided.
• Quality of life is improved by increasing the speed of diagnosis and the beginning of treatment.

What kind of doctor is an interventional radiologist?
Interventional radiologists are specially trained physicians who have completed four years of study in radiology, passed a board certifying radiology exam, and completed extensive specialized training, known as fellowship training, in these procedures.

Interventional radiologists work closely with the entire health care team to diagnose and treat conditions that previously may have required surgery. Our goal is to help you recover from a medical condition and return to your normal activities as quickly as possible.

What are some of the procedures that interventional radiologists perform?

• Angiography - x-rays to determine if there are blockages in the arteries or veins
• Angioplasty - treatment of blockages in the legs and other areas of the body using a small, inflating stent that opens the vessels
• Blood clot filters or injections - insertion of a small filter or a dose of medication to destroy blood clots
• Cancer treatment - administration of cancer fighting medications directly into tumors
• Catheter insertions - insertion of a small tube into a large vein for giving chemotherapy, nutritional support or hemodialysis
• Embolization - delivery of a substance to stop bleeding
• Feeding tubes - placement of tubes for patients who have problems eating
• Intravascular ultrasound - use of ultrasound to detect problems inside the blood vessels
• Needle biopsy - use of a small needle to obtain tissue samples and investigate tissue abnormalities
• Percutaneous vertebroplasty - the injection of a cement-like material into the spine to treat painful compression fractures

How can I find out if I'm a candidate?
Talk to your physician or call 889-5251