Our Interventional Radiology Areas of Expertise

Interventional radiologists can diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases through the use of minimally invasive techniques such as embolization, ablation, and revascularization. Guided by imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), X-ray, and ultrasound, our experts insert small devices, such as wires or catheters to deliver treatments.

Embolization

Embolization is a procedure that involves blocking or closing off a blood vessel through the injection of an embolic agent into the vessel itself. These treatments provide an alternative to open surgical treatments and are often used to treat conditions such as bleeding, aneurysms, inflammation due to arthritis, vascular malformations, tumors, uterine fibroids, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)—or prostate enlargement, and more.

What To Expect

Most often, embolization can be performed as outpatient treatments, with patients able to return home the same day. On the day of your procedure, you will be placed under light sedation before a small incision is made into either the groin or wrist. From there, a small catheter is inserted and guided with imaging video X-ray to the targeted blood vessel. The embolic agent is then injected through the catheter to deliver the embolic agent or block the flow of blood through the vessel.

Post-procedure, you should plan to rest for several days. You may experience side effects such as pain at the puncture site, mild bruising, swelling, and less frequently nausea, vomiting, fever, and fatigue, along with limited symptoms such as cramping and increased peeing, depending on what region of the body your treatment targeted.

Ablation

Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that causes tumor destruction through the application of extreme heat, extreme cold, or focused high-amplitude sound waves, most often used in the liver, kidneys, or lungs, but also applicable for benign and malignant tumors in other parts of the body as well.

What To Expect

Ablation is most often conducted under general anesthesia.

On the day of your procedure, a special ablation needle will be inserted directly into the targeted tissue or tumor using imaging guidance. In select patients for whom targeted high-amplitude ultrasound is an option, no puncture is required.

Post-procedure, in hospital recovery is generally a few hours with the vast majority of patients going home the same day.