Interventional radiology

What is interventional radiology?

Interventional radiology uses imaging to guide needles or thin, flexible tubes called catheters, inside your body. Most of the time, the catheter is placed in a blood vessel in your wrist or upper thigh, then threaded through your blood vessels to the area that needs care.

Advantages of interventional radiology

Interventional radiology allows your doctor to perform precise diagnostic procedures and treatments without surgery. That means you may benefit from:

• Less pain
• Lower risk of complications
• Quicker recovery
• Shorter hospital stay
• Smaller scars

In many cases, your procedure can be performed under sedation. That means you’ll receive medicine to help you relax and block pain, but you’ll stay awake throughout your procedure. You’ll be able to return to everyday activities more quickly.

Common uses for interventional radiology

Interventional radiologists may join your care team to:

• Control or prevent bleeding.
• Deliver medications directly to one area of the body.
• Destroy tumors or other harmful cells.
• Drain fluid.
• Open blocked blood vessels.
• Place a stent, a tiny tube that keeps an artery open.
• Relieve pain.
• Remove a small sample of tissue for examination (needle biopsy).
• Treat blood clots.
• Treat varicose and spider veins.

Outpatient care

Most interventional radiology procedures are outpatient procedures. You’ll come to ProHealth for your procedure and return home the same day. Depend on your care team to monitor your health and tell you how to care for yourself after you leave the facility.