Jeffrey E. Stirling, MD

Interventions in heart are done by cardiologists and Cardiothoracic Surgeon not IR’s

It is Embolization of the 2 uterine arteries with particles. Usually arteries which supply the uterus are accessed from the artery near the hip called the femoral artery. Most of the time, the procedure takes less than 2 hours. Generally requires over night stay in the hospital. 80% to 90% effective. Recovery at home like 5 to 7 days. Main risk is sloughing off fibroid with persistent discharge or associated with infection. Major complications requiring surgery or other intervention probably less than 2%.

Not removed. That can only be done surgically. We embolize tumors, decreasing blood flow often in combination with chemotherapy agents, or inject radioactive particles into the artery supplying the tumor, usually liver tumors. We also ablate tumors with heat or cold, sticking a probe directly into the tumor. These are often cosine for the same tumor in the same patient, especially in the liver.

Yes IR can provide intraarterial chemo Embolization Bland Embolization and Radio Brachytherapy mainly for primary liver cancer but some time for metastasis as well. We often combine the arterial based therapy with direct per cutaneous ablation using heat like radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation especially for smaller lesions

Interventional Radiology can treat arterial hemorrhage through catheter directed techniques nearly all over the body. When a patient is actively bleeding enough and in shock an intervention radiologist can insert a small catheter into the vessel responsible for the bleeding and inject material such as coils liquids and particles to cause the vessel to thrombose and stop the bleeding. Less often, if a major vessel which cannot be sacrificed an Interventionist may be able to insert a covered stent to seal the vessel and stop the bleeding.