Interventional Radiology

What is Interventional Radiology?

Interventional radiology is a minimally invasive way of assessing disease and delivering targeted treatments. Interventional radiologists (or interventionalists) are board-certified physicians with advanced training in minimally invasive therapy guided by imaging tools such as fluoroscopy (X-ray), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many diseases that once required surgical treatment can be treated nonsurgically by interventional radiologists with less risk, less pain, and faster recovery time.

How does IR work?

Children coming for an interventional radiology procedure are treated in our suite on the second floor of the main hospital. The procedure rooms are equipped with a variety of imaging technologies that allow interventional radiologists to see inside the body as they are performing the procedure. Often this involves threading catheters through the blood vessels or organs in order to diagnose the disease or deliver treatment through tiny instruments.

When might an interventional radiology procedure be needed?

Interventional radiology is routinely used to manage abnormal blood vessels, perform biopsies, place feeding tubes, drainage tubes and central venous lines. It can also be an alternative to surgery in some serious medical conditions such as blood clots, kidney or liver abnormalities and some tumors.