For Patients

An interventional radiologist is a doctor who has undergone additional, subspecialty (or fellowship) training in vascular and interventional radiology (IR). In addition to being able to read and interpret diagnostic images, this doctor is also qualified to perform minimally invasive treatments using imaging to guide the procedure.

All told, an interventional radiologist undergoes a total of 13-14 years of education and real-world training to become certified in the field.

The list of conditions treated by interventional radiologists is growing every year. Today, that includes vascular disease, cancer, uterine fibroids, pelvic congestion syndrome, enlarged prostate, varicoceles, knee osteoarthritis, chronic hemorrhoids, spine fractures and more. These doctors also support the needs of dialysis patients by creating and maintaining fistulas, perform image-guided biopsies, insert feeding and drainage tubes, place and remove IVC filters and perform other important functions.

IR procedures are performed entirely inside the body using imaging to guide the procedure. Instead of making a large incision, the doctor inserts a tiny catheter via a small needle into a blood vessel. The catheter is then advanced to the site of the problem, and miniaturized instruments are then used to treat the condition.

No, all of the procedures we perform are clinically proven and FDA-approved. Nearly all are covered by health insurance or Medicare.

Interventional radiology has been around since the 1960s, and many of the procedures we perform today, such as uterine fibroid embolization and angioplasty to open up blocked blood vessels have been performed successfully for more than twenty-five years.

Your doctor will provide any special instructions regarding what you can eat and what medications you can take prior to your procedure.

When you arrive at our outpatient clinic, you will change into a comfortable gown. You will be given a light “twilight” sedation to relax you during the procedure. The procedure itself will take about an hour. Afterwards, you will be monitored for a short period of time and then you may change back into your clothes and return home.