INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

Interventional Radiology (IR) is a sub-specialty of radiology that uses minimally invasive image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases throughout the body. Because many IR procedures are an alternative to traditional surgical procedures, these have become very popular with physicians and patients seeking proven outcomes without the risks, complications and scarring associated with surgery.

Santa Fe Radiology’s Interventional Radiologists have undergone sub-specialty training to perform a wide variety of IR procedures. As interventional radiology techniques are innovated and perfected, you can count on us to remain at the forefront of this new and exciting field, responsibly making available highly effective, minimally invasive treatments to physicians and their patients.

Common Interventional Radiology Procedures

Interventional radiology includes common procedures such as biopsy and angiography, as well as minimally invasive treatments for vascular disease, cancer, varicose veins, fibroids and more.

Angiography – Enabling views of blood circulation & the interior of blood vessels by using a catheter to reach the location of blockages in veins, then inserting a contrast agent (dye) to increase the detail available in X-rays.

Balloon Angioplasty – Procedure to restore blood flow through narrowed blood vessels by inserting a small balloon and inflating it.

Biliary Drainage and Stenting – Using diagnostic imaging to place a small mesh tube called a stent into a bile duct in the liver, so that blocked bile can drain

Central Venous Access – Inserting a tube beneath the skin and into a blood vessel to deliver medication or nutrients directly into the blood stream.

Chemoembolization – Delivering cancer-fighting agents directly to the site of a tumor, often used to treat endocrine system and liver cancers.

Embolization – Stopping bleeding or blocking blood flow to a problem area (e.g., aneurysms or uterine fibroid tumors) by delivering clotting agents in the forms of gel, foam, coils, or plastic directly to the site.

Fallopian Tube Catheterization – Using a catheter to reach and open blocked fallopian tubes without surgery: sometimes used as part of infertility treatments.

Gastrostomy Tube – Inserting a tube directly into the stomach to delivery nutrients for patients who are unable to eat enough food by mouth, or who cannot safely swallow.

Hemodialysis Access Maintenance – Opening blocked grafts for hemodialysis (a treatment for kidney failure) using either a catheter or clot-dissolving drugs.

Needle Biopsy – Obtaining a sample of cells for laboratory testing by using a needle to draw fluid and/or tissue from lumps, infections, or inflammations; samples are then examined in a laboratory to detect the presence of cancer in breasts, lungs, and other areas.

Radio frequency (RF) Ablation – Guiding a probe with an electrode at its tip to a problem area and then transmitting a painless radiofrequency energy to treat certain conditions; frequently used to heat and kill cancerous tumors, or to treat some types of rapid heart beating.

Stent – A small flexible tube used to treat a variety of medical conditions in blood vessels, urinary tracts, and other areas of the body.

Stent-graft – A tubular device made of special fabric and a rigid support structure that reinforces a weakened, ruptured, or ballooning section of an artery (an aneurysm)

Thrombolysis – Injecting drugs at the exact site of a clot to dissolve it.

TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) – A procedure to improve blood flow and prevent hemorrhage.

Uterine Artery Embolization – A procedure to stop severe pelvic bleeding caused by postpartum hemorrhaging, trauma or gynecological tumors.