Interventional Radiology Division

A minimally invasive approach

Interventional radiology (IR) can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions throughout the body using a minimally invasive approach that aims to keep you feeling as healthy as possible during and after your treatments. The AHN interventional radiology division has expertise in working with and providing treatment for many health conditions. 

Vascular diseases

Vascular diseases affect the blood vessels, impacting blood flow throughout the body. These conditions can affect people of all ages, but are more common in older adults, individuals with diabetes, smokers, and those with a family history of vascular problems. Interventional Radiology (IR) offers minimally invasive treatments for a wide range of vascular conditions, addressing the underlying problem with precision and often reducing recovery time compared to traditional surgery. The specific IR treatment approach is tailored to the specific vascular disease:

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD): PAD involves the narrowing or blockage of arteries in the legs and feet, typically due to plaque buildup. IR can open blocked arteries using angioplasty (inflating a balloon to widen the artery) and stenting (placing a mesh tube to keep the artery open). We also offer thrombolysis which involves the removal of clots to restore blood flow, relieving pain, preventing limb loss, and improving overall mobility.
• Embolization: Embolization is a technique used to stop bleeding by intentionally blocking injured blood vessels. This is particularly useful in trauma cases, post-surgical complications, or to control bleeding from tumors. IR doctors precisely target the bleeding vessel using catheters and deploy embolic agents (like coils or particles) to seal it off, preventing further blood loss.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): DVT occurs when blood clots form in the deep veins, usually in the legs. IR can remove these clots using specialized catheters and thrombolytic drugs to dissolve the clot, restoring blood flow and preventing long-term complications like post-thrombotic syndrome.
• Pulmonary embolism (PE): PE happens when a blood clot travels to the lungs, blocking blood flow. IR offers minimally invasive procedures to remove these clots using specialized devices, quickly restoring blood flow to the lungs and reducing the risk of serious complications.
• Aneurysms: Aneurysms are weakened and bulging areas in blood vessel walls, which can rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. IR can repair aneurysms by inserting a stent graft (a fabric-covered tube) into the affected vessel to reinforce the weakened area and prevent rupture.
• Superficial venous disease: Also known as chronic venous insufficiency or venous reflux, this condition affects the veins near the surface of the skin, often causing varicose veins, swelling, and skin changes. IR offers treatments like radiofrequency ablation or sclerotherapy to close off damaged veins, improving circulation and relieving symptoms.
• Chronic venous disease: This involves re-opening veins that have been blocked by scar tissue or chronic clot, typically in the legs. IR uses techniques like angioplasty and stenting to restore blood flow in these blocked veins, reducing pain, swelling, and the risk of skin ulcers.
• Lymphatic intervention: This includes procedures like thoracic duct embolization to treat lymphatic leaks.

Cancer

Interventional radiology offers a variety of minimally invasive treatments for many types of cancer, often providing targeted therapy with fewer side effects than traditional approaches. These treatments can be used alone or in combination with other cancer therapies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Interventional radiology (IR) treatment for cancer includes:

• Tumor ablation: This technique involves destroying tumors using extreme heat (radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation), extreme cold (cryoablation), or electricity (electroporation). IR doctors guide probes directly into the tumor using imaging guidance (like ultrasound or CT scans) to precisely target and destroy cancerous cells in the liver, lung, kidney, thyroid, and bone, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
• Chemoembolization: This procedure combines chemotherapy with embolization to treat liver tumors. IR doctors deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumor through a catheter inserted into the hepatic artery. At the same time, they block the blood supply to the tumor (embolization), trapping the chemotherapy drugs inside the tumor for a more concentrated and effective treatment.
• Radioembolization (Y-90): Also known as selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), this treatment involves delivering tiny radioactive beads (containing yttrium-90) directly to liver tumors. IR doctors thread a catheter into the hepatic artery and inject these beads, which lodge within the tumor's blood vessels, delivering targeted radiation to kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy liver tissue.
• Venous access: IR doctors can place ports and central lines to facilitate chemotherapy. These devices provide reliable and convenient access to the bloodstream for delivering chemotherapy drugs, drawing blood samples, and providing other intravenous treatments, reducing the need for repeated needle sticks.

Kidney and liver

IR offers minimally invasive solutions for a range of conditions affecting the liver, biliary system, kidneys, and urinary tract. These image-guided procedures can often provide effective treatment with less pain, shorter recovery times, and fewer complications compared to traditional surgery. These treatments can address blockages, improve drainage, and manage complications related to various liver and kidney diseases. Treatment can include options for:

• Liver and biliary disease
  • Biliary drainage: When bile ducts become blocked due to gallstones, tumors, or other conditions, bile can build up in the liver, causing jaundice, infection, and liver damage. IR can perform biliary drainage by inserting a catheter into the blocked bile duct to drain the bile externally or by placing a stent to keep the duct open, restoring bile flow and relieving symptoms.
  • Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS): TIPS is a procedure used to reduce pressure in the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines to the liver. This is often performed in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, which can lead to complications like variceal bleeding and ascites. During a TIPS procedure, an IR doctor creates a connection between the portal vein and a hepatic vein (a vein that drains blood from the liver) using a stent, diverting blood flow and reducing pressure in the portal vein.
• Kidney and urologic conditions
  • Nephrostomy: When the flow of urine from the kidney is blocked due to kidney stones, tumors, or other obstructions, pressure can build up in the kidney, causing pain and kidney damage. IR can perform a nephrostomy by inserting a tube directly into the kidney through the skin to drain the urine externally, relieving pressure and protecting kidney function.
  • Ureteral stenting: The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. When a ureter becomes blocked or narrowed, it can cause pain, infection, and kidney damage. IR can place a stent in the ureter to keep it open, allowing urine to flow freely from the kidney to the bladder.

Women’s and Men’s Reproductive health conditions

IR offers a range of minimally invasive procedures to address women's and men’s reproductive health issues. These treatments offer alternatives to traditional surgery, often resulting in less pain, shorter recovery times, and fewer complications. IR procedures in this area can address uterine fibroids, enlarged prostate symptoms, and alleviate pelvic pain. Treatment may include:

• Prostate artery embolization: This is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). It involves blocking the blood flow to specific areas of the prostate, causing it to shrink and alleviate urinary symptoms. A small catheter is inserted into an artery and guided to the prostate arteries, where tiny particles are then injected to embolize them.
• Varicocele treatment: Varicocele treatment addresses enlarged veins within the scrotum, similar to varicose veins in the legs, which can affect fertility and cause discomfort. Treatment options typically include surgical ligation (tying off the affected veins) or percutaneous embolization. The latter involves blocking the blood flow to the varicocele using coils or a special liquid, often performed through a small incision.
• Ureteral stenting: The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. When a ureter becomes blocked or narrowed, it can cause pain, infection, and kidney damage. IR can place a stent in the ureter to keep it open, allowing urine to flow freely from the kidney to the bladder.
• Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE): Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and pressure. UFE is a minimally invasive procedure that blocks the blood supply to the fibroids, causing them to shrink and alleviating symptoms. During UFE, an IR doctor inserts a catheter into an artery in the groin and guides it to the uterine arteries, where they inject small particles to block blood flow to the fibroids.
• Pelvic congestion syndrome: Pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition that causes chronic pelvic pain due to enlarged, varicose veins in the pelvis. IR can treat this condition by performing embolization to block off the affected veins, reducing blood flow and alleviating pain.

Pain management

IR offers a variety of minimally invasive procedures to manage and alleviate chronic pain. These treatments target the source of pain with precision, often providing long-lasting relief and improved quality of life. IR pain management techniques can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including back pain, knee pain, and pain associated with vertebral fractures. Treatment can include:

• Kyphoplasty and vertebral implants: These procedures are used to treat vertebral compression fractures, which are common in people with osteoporosis. During kyphoplasty, an IR doctor inserts a balloon into the fractured vertebra to restore its height and then injects bone cement to stabilize the fracture. Vertebral implants (such as screws or spacers) can also be used to stabilize fractured vertebrae and provide support.
• Geniculate artery embolization (GAE): This is a minimally invasive treatment for chronic knee pain, particularly osteoarthritis. GAE targets the small blood vessels around the knee joint that contribute to inflammation and pain. By blocking these vessels (embolization), IR doctors can reduce blood flow to the inflamed tissues, decreasing pain and improving knee function.
• Nerve blocks: Nerve blocks involve injecting medication (such as local anesthetics or corticosteroids) near specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain. IR doctors use imaging guidance (like ultrasound or fluoroscopy) to precisely target the nerves responsible for the pain, providing targeted pain relief.
• Therapeutic cryoablation: This technique involves freezing painful nerves to relieve back pain and other types of chronic pain. IR doctors insert a probe into the target area and use extreme cold to destroy the nerve tissue, disrupting pain signals and providing long-lasting pain relief.

Recovery time after interventional radiology

Since interventional radiology (IR) treatments use minimally invasive techniques, this often means recovery times are shorter than traditional procedures. Depending on the type of treatment, you may be seen at an outpatient or inpatient setting. Your AHN care team will determine which setting is best. If you are seen in an outpatient setting, you can go home the same day. A few more complex treatments may mean you are seen in a hospital (inpatient) setting and will often require a short stay of one to two days. Many patients can return to their normal activities within a few days to a week after an IR procedure. However, this can vary depending on the complexity of the procedure and the patient's individual circumstances. With any procedure, there is risk of side effects, fortunately for interventional procedures these are minimized and rare. 

Interventional radiology specialists

AHN interventional radiologists are highly skilled and experienced health care professionals who understand the challenges that come with the conditions that require interventional radiology. This, coupled with the innovative technologies and techniques that AHN uses, creates a noticeable difference in the care delivery available through our specialists.

Leads

Interventional Radiology Team

Use Find Care for a full list of interventional radiologists.

How to get care

Call our schedulers at 833-VIR-RAD1 833-847-7231 to make an appointment with one of our interventional radiologists.

We offer in-person and virtual visits through video. During your first appointment, you will meet with your interventional radiologist. You will leave your appointment with a treatment plan that includes scheduling procedures.

If you are coming from an outside hospital, we need treatment history and images, such as CT scans or ultrasounds. These could come from your previous doctor, or you can bring copies whether on a hard drive, CD, or digitally using PowerShare.

Clinical trials and research

We stay in the forefront of treatment studies and research around the world. We are a top enroller in multiple international studies for research. Currently we are part of a clinical trial using the ClotTriever System treating symptomatic lower extremity DVT.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are studies that try to answer questions about new ways to treat cancer with medications, radiation, or surgical techniques. Previous trials have shown how new methods of treatment improve survival and quality of life and reduce the risk of cancer returning.You participate in a clinical trial only if you volunteer to do so and meet criteria for inclusion in the study, and you can stop participating in a trial at any time.

Who can join a clinical trial?

The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains what the trial will do and how the study will be done. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.

Common criteria for entering a trial are:

• Having a certain type of disease or stage of cancer.
• Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past.
• Being in a certain age group.
• Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. It’s to ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.

How to join a clinical trial

Talk to your doctor about available clinical trials to see if you meet the criteria for on that is active or soon-to-be started.

Refer your patient to an AHN specialist

There are three ways for medical professionals, who are not a part of Allegheny Health Network, to refer their patients to an AHN specialist and request their first appointment. You can:

1. Call 833-VIR-RAD1 833-847-7231.
2. Call (412) DOCTORS 412-362-8677.
3. Go to Find Care to find the right AHN specialist and the most convenient location. Then refer your patient, provide relevant patient details, and request an appointment directly from the doctor's profile. 

For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.