Interventional Radiology

What is interventional radiology?

Interventional radiologists use diagnostic imaging, such as fluoroscopy, ultrasound or CT scan, to perform minimally invasive procedures. They use catheters (thin, flexible tubes) to operate through tiny incisions or needle punctures in the skin.

Many of these procedures are endovascular, meaning they are performed inside a blood vessel. Interventional radiologists use a minimally invasive approach to treat many conditions that once required open surgery.

Common interventional radiology procedures include:

• Ablation destroys diseased tissue using heat or cold.

• Angioplasty widens blocked blood vessels.

• Biopsy takes tissue samples for testing and diagnosis.

• Central venous catheter placement allows easy access for drawing blood, delivering medication or providing dialysis.

• Embolization blocks blood flow or stops bleeding.

• Stent placement reinforces or keeps blood vessels open.

Benefits of interventional radiology

Interventional radiology procedures offer many advantages compared with open surgeries, including:

• Smaller incisions and less visible scars

• Less pain

• Faster recovery

• Lower risk of complications

Our collaborative approach to care

At UCSF Health, our interventional radiologists work closely with experts in many specialties to provide comprehensive care, including:

• Gastroenterology

• Gynecology

• Hepatobiliary surgery

• Nephrology

• Oncology

• Orthopedics

• Transplant surgery

• Urology

Outpatient procedures we offer

In addition to our hospital-based services, we also provide outpatient interventional procedures for many conditions, including:

Embolization for male and female reproductive disorders

We offer a range of minimally invasive treatments for common gynecologic and urologic conditions, including:

• Uterine fibroid embolization. This treatment shrinks abnormal growths in the uterus by blocking their blood supply, helping to relieve pelvic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding.

• Ovarian vein embolization. We close off ovarian and pelvic veins to treat pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) and pelvic pain.

• Prostate artery embolization. This procedure reduces blood flow to the prostate gland to help improve urinary symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate.

• Varicocele embolization. We use this procedure to block blood flow in enlarged veins in the scrotum (varicocele) to help relieve pain and improve fertility.

Endovenous ablation for varicose veins

Our interventional radiologists specialize in treating superficial venous diseases that affect veins near the surface of your skin, such as varicose veins. We often use minimally invasive endovenous ablation to treat these conditions, which involves using heat or chemicals to close off bulging veins.

This procedure can relieve leg swelling and discomfort and has a lower risk of complications than traditional varicose vein removal surgery (stripping and ligation).

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for benign thyroid nodules

Our interventional radiologists, head and neck surgeons, endocrine surgeons and endocrinologists work together to offer thermal ablation, a type of RFA, to treat benign (noncancerous) thyroid growths, called nodules. This procedure is a safe and effective alternative to traditional, open thyroid surgery.

Thermal ablation uses heat delivered through a small probe to shrink nodules, while minimizing damage to healthy thyroid tissue. This technique is also more effective at reducing the risk of hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) compared with traditional surgeries.

Musculoskeletal pain interventions

Our interventional radiologists specialize in providing minimally invasive procedures to reduce pain and improve your quality of life, including:

• Vertebral augmentation (kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty). We inject cement into a bone to stabilize fractures caused by osteoporosis or other diseases.

• Neurolysis and ablation. We use intense heat, cold or chemicals to destroy nerves and block pain signals.

Genicular artery embolization for knee pain and swelling

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat knee pain from osteoarthritis and other conditions. Our interventional radiologists use a catheter and microscopic beads to block arteries that deliver blood to your knee.

This treatment can help:

• Reduce inflammation and pain

• Improve joint mobility

• Delay or eliminate the need for major knee surgery

• Decrease bleeding in the joint in patients who have had a knee replacement