Interventional Radiologists are medical specialists who use imaging to guide minimally invasive treatments—in real-time— from inside the body.
Interventional Radiology was conceived in 1964 when Dr. Charles Dotter treated an 82-year-old woman with advanced peripheral artery disease who refused to have her leg amputated. Dr. Dotter opened the diseased vessel using a guidewire and a Teflon catheter, returning circulation to her leg. Not only was the procedure successful, but the patient—who was unable to stand up when she arrived—walked out of the hospital on her own two feet.
Over the past decade, minimally invasive procedures have exploded in popularity. Diseases and health conditions that once required open surgery can now be diagnosed and treated from outside the body, using tiny catheters and specialized devices, performed by Interventional Radiologists using medical imaging.
Some of these treatments, such as neurointerventional vascular procedures for stroke and interventional oncology techniques such as the radioembolization of liver tumors, are best performed in a hospital setting. However, a growing number of treatment options are now available in an outpatient setting for an easier, more convenient, and even safer experience for patients.
The Interventional Radiologists at Memphis Vascular Center perform the following minimally invasive procedures (among others) at our outpatient center:
Uterine fibroid embolization—a safer alternative to hysterectomy or myomectomy to shrink fibroids by injecting tiny beads into the small arteries feeding the fibroids. This causes the fibroids to shrink and symptoms to disappear.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty—two procedures to treat vertebral compression fractures within the spine. Vertebroplasty uses a special fast-drying cement to repair the fractured vertebra; kyphoplasty uses special balloons to restore height to the vertebra and then the injection of fast-drying cement to strengthen it.
Prostate artery embolization—a safer alternative to surgery that reduces blood flow to the prostate gland, causing it to shrink and symptoms to disappear. Unlike other procedures, this procedure can help restore sexual function in addition to decreasing or eliminating the frequent need to urinate
Hemorrhoidal artery embolization—a safe alternative to surgery to treat chronic internal hemorrhoids. This treatment involves the insertion of special coils to prevent blood flow into the hemorrhoid, causing it to shrink.
Endovenous laser therapy (EVLT)—a minimally invasive technique to treat varicose veins using laser energy to seal off the faulty vein, which eventually shrinks and is absorbed by the body. Blood is automatically re-routed by the body through other, healthier veins.
Angioplasty, atherectomy, and stenting— minimally invasive techniques to open arteries affected by peripheral artery disease, and to keep blood flowing to the body’s extremities. Angioplasty features a special balloon to open the artery (often in combination with a stent to keep it from closing again) and atherectomy, which uses a special cutting device to remove plaque from the arterial wall and remove it from the body.
Genicular artery embolization—for moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. During this procedure, the Interventional Radiologist embolizes or “seals off” some of the arteries that carry blood to the knee lining, reducing inflammation and halting the further degeneration of cartilage. If performed early enough, this procedure may help avoid knee replacement surgery in the future.
There are now Interventional Radiology procedures for nearly every organ system within the body, which can help patients avoid the risks, hospitalization and lengthy recovery associated with surgery. The Interventional Radiologists at Memphis Vascular Center will remain among the first doctors in Tennessee performing these procedures as they become clinically proven and FDA-approved.
