Interventional Radiology

From treatment for varicose veins to high-tech cancer treatment to spinal care, interventional radiology at Riddle Hospital offers speedier recoveries and smaller incisions than traditional surgery with the same great results.

Interventional radiology combines the technology of powerful imaging equipment with the skill of specially trained physicians who guide narrow tubes and other very small instruments through blood vessels and other pathways to the precise location of a problem. These procedures require only a small incision, which benefits patients by causing less pain, less risk and less surgical scarring, resulting in a shorter recovery period than with traditional surgery. Most procedures are performed on an outpatient basis.

Our Services

Interventional radiology at Riddle Hospital offers advanced treatment options for a variety of conditions. If you have any questions regarding these services, please contact us.

Varicose Veins

Using a laser or radiofrequency, our interventional radiologists close the diseased vein, the twisted and varicosed branch veins, which are near to the skin, shrink and improve in appearance. Once the vein is closed, other healthy veins take over to carry blood from the leg and reestablish normal flow.  Patients return to their daily activities soon, with little or no pain, and no scars.

Cancer Treatment through Interventional Oncology

In radiofrequency ablation, a concentrated heat is used to destroy cancerous tumors after other treatments have failed. Chemoembolization works when chemotherapy is injected directly into the site of liver cancer, delivering highly concentrated doses that kill off the cancer cells.

Uterine Fibroids

While uterine fibroids do not always cause symptoms, their size and location can lead to problems for some women, including pelvic pain, heavy bleeding and, in some cases, infertility. Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) blocks the arteries that supply blood to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. It is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure, which means it requires only a tiny nick in the skin and is performed while the patient is conscious but sedated.

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs when cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called plaque inside the arteries, which become narrowed and clogged. The clogged arteries cause decreased blood flow to the legs, which can result in pain when walking. Interventional radiologists at Riddle Hospital can open blocked or narrowed blood vessels caused by PVD without major surgery. 

Compression Fractures of the Spine

For people who have experienced spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, there are two effective treatments now available at Riddle Hospital — vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

For more information about interventional radiology at Riddle Hospital, call 610-744-2659.